Facile enhancement of photocatalytic efficiency of g-C3N4 by Li-intercalation

Abstract

We report significant enhancement of photocatalytic properties of g-C3N4 by a facile Lithium (Li)-intercalation method. The Li atoms are successfully and stably intercalated into the interlayer of g-C3N4 by n-butyl lithium (n-BuLi). The photocatalytic activity of the Li-intercalated g-C3N4 was observed to be significantly improved by 2.8 times in degradation of a dye (RhB), compared to that of pristine g-C3N4. The synergetic effects of the narrowed band gap, enhanced surface area, establishment of an interlayer pathway, and positive shift in the valence band position improve the photocatalytic activity of the Li-intercalated g-C3N4. Our discovery provides a promising route to manipulate the photocatalytic activity simply by increasing the Li concentration after the growth process of the g-C3N4, gaining a deeper understanding of the improvement in the photocatalytic efficiency.