%0 Journal Article
%T Photocatalytic Nitrogen Oxide Removal Activity Improved Step-by-Step through Serial Multistep Cu Modifications
%J -
%D 2019
%R https://doi.org/10.1021/acsami.9b00111
%X Previous research has evidenced the insufficient efficiency in a one-step modified photocatalyst for NO removal. In this article, a serial multistep modification was explored to improve the NO removal activity of g-C3N4. In the experiment, a g-C3N4 photocatalyst has been successfully modified by Cu elements three times on one continuous process. Meanwhile, results showed that the serial multistep modifications could improve NO removal activity by g-C3N4 step by step. The main active species in the g-C3N4 system were h+ and £żO2¨C but they were h+ and £żOH in the three-modified g-C3N4 systems. Moreover, different mechanisms of activity improvement caused by the modified Cu in the serial-modified samples were identified. In the first modified sample, Cu2+ can decompose H2O2 molecules into £żOH via a Fenton-like reaction. In the second modified sample, the H2O2 molecule is activated by Cu0 and decomposed into £żOH by the generated photoelectrons. After the third modification, the synergistic effects of the N vacancy and Cu0 were identified, which significantly enhanced the photocatalytic NO removal activity of g-C3N4. This study proposed that the serial multistep modification can be a promising method to improve the NO removal activity of g-C3N4 stage-by-stage
%U https://pubs.acs.org/doi/10.1021/acsami.9b00111