One step synthesis of P-doped g-C3N4 with the enhanced visible light photocatalytic activity

Abstract In our work, P doped Graphitic nitride (g-C 3 N 4 ) was prepared by the simple copolymerization of melamine and melamine phosphate. The melamine phosphate ester polymer is a complex of an s-triazine and phosphoric acid polymer, thus it will be favourable for P atom to incorporate into the C N network of g-C 3 N 4 . The doped P atoms may produce the delocalized lone electron and form the Lewis acid sites. The obtained P-doped g-C 3 N 4 showed the higher photocatalytic activity in photodegradation of MB and 2,4-Dichlorophenol than g-C 3 N 4 . The optimum photocatatlytic activity of P-C 3 N 4 with the weight ration of melamine phosphate and melamine at 0.06 is 2 times as higher as the pure g-C 3 N 4 in MB photodegradation, and 1.5 times higher in 2,4-Dichlorophenol photodegradation. The enhancement of photodegradation efficiency is due to the delocalization effect of lone electron, promoting the separation of photogenerated charges, and the larger band gap of P doped g-C 3 N 4 .