Magnetic Fe-doping g-C3N4/graphite: the effect of supporters and the performance in Fenton-like reactions

ABSTRACT Metal-doping graphitic carbon nitride (g-C 3 N 4 ) is a potential catalyst for the Fenton-like reaction. Selecting an appropriate supporter for this material is essential to improve its catalytic ability and lower the costs. Three common supporters, graphite, activated carbon, and SBA-15, were employed to investigate their effects on the catalyst structure and performances. Results show that graphite could increase the active Fe–N centers due to geometric effects and promote the electron transfer by π–π stacking, and therefore, the Fe-doping g-C 3 N 4 /graphite (FegN/G) composite displayed excellent catalytic ability for the bisphenol A (BPA) removal. In addition, magnetic catalyst was further fabricated through a simple coprecipitation method using Fe 3 O 4 and chitosan-Fe hydrogel. The magnetic catalyst kept in dozens of micrometer size range as well as high activity for the Fenton reaction. Hydroxyl radicals were generated during the reaction process, and 99.9% of the original BPA was therefore degraded and mineralized in 1 h. More importantly, it also exhibits a good reusability and stability, as well as a quick separation performance from the solution when using a magnet, indicating that this magnetic FegN/G composite would be a promising Fenton-like catalyst in practical applications.