Two kinds of graphitic carbon nitride (g-C 3 N 4 ) were synthesized through a pyrolysis process of urea or melamine. It is found that the obtained g-C 3 N 4 , as photocatalysts, can reduce CO 2 to organic fuels under visible light, and exhibit different photoactivity and selectivity on the formation of CH 3 OH and C 2 H 5 OH. The product derived from the urea (denoted as u-g-C 3 N 4 ) shows a mesoporous flake-like structure with a larger surface area and higher photoactivity for the CO 2 reduction than the non-porous flaky product obtained from melamine (denoted as m-g-C 3 N 4 ). Moreover, using u-g-C 3 N 4 as a photocatalyst can result in the formation of a mixture containing CH 3 OH and C 2 H 5 OH, while m-g-C 3 N 4 only leads to the selective formation of C 2 H 5 OH. The present interesting findings could shed light on the design of efficient, eco-friendly and convenient photocatalysts and the tuning of their photoreactivity in the field of sustainable light-to-energy conversion.

No abstract

No abstract

No abstract