Modification of graphitic carbon nitride with hydrogen peroxide

Abstract

Graphitic carbon nitride (GCN) was synthetized by heating melamine and then it was thermally exfoliated for 1-3 h in air. Both bulk and exfoliated GCN nanomaterials were treated in the 10-30% aqueous solutions of H2O2 for us to study their modification. The light absorption properties were observed by the reddish color and the red-shifts of their UV-Vis spectra. The content of oxygen increased and hydrogen peroxide was supposed to partially oxidize C-OH groups to C=O ones and to form C-O-C groups instead of edge C-NH-C ones. The GCN structure changes were not observed. However, a surface modification of the GCN materials was recognized by their changed photocatalytic activities tested by means of Acid Orange 7 (AO7) and Rhodamines B (RhB), zeta-potentials, and neutralization titration curves.