Enhanced photocatalytic activity induced by defect engineering in porous graphitic carbon nitride nanosheets

In this study, we develop a synergistic strategy combining defect engineering and porous structures to increase the photocatalytic activity of graphitic carbon nitride (g-C 3 N x ) under simulated sunlight. The photocatalytic efficiency of porous g-C 3 N x containing nitrogen defects for the degradation of Rhodamine B (RhB) is about 3.5 times higher than that of pristine g-C 3 N 4 synthesized by direct calcination, which can be attributed to its large specific surface area and surface nitrogen defects. Trapping experiments and electron spin resonance tests reveal that superoxide radical (·O 2 − ) is confirmed to be the predominant active specie for photodegrading RhB.