Facile synthesis of porous graphitic carbon nitride via sulfuric acid post-treatment and its activity for methylene blue degradation

Porous graphitic carbon nitride (porous g-C3N4) was successfully prepared by post-treatment process using concentrated sulfuric acid for the pore formation. The characterizations using X-ray diffraction (XRD) and Fourier transform infrared (FTIR) show that the formation of the pores does not significantly change the structural properties of the g-C3N4. The formation of pores was indicated by the enlarged surface area. Photocatalytic performance test on the degradation of methylene blue (MB) shows that porous g-C3N4 has an enhanced photocatalytic activity compared to the bulk g-C3N4, which can be attributed to the larger surface area and a more efficient charge carriers' transfer on the porous g-C3N4.