Precise fabrication of porous one-dimensional gC3N4 nanotubes doped with Pd and Cu atoms for efficient CO oxidation and CO2 reduction

Abstract

Rational design of graphitic carbon nitride nanostructures (gC3N4) is vital for various catalytic applications. Herein, we synthesized porous gC3N4 nanotubes (gC3N4NTs) doped with Pd and Cu (Pd/Cu/gC3N4NTs) via the consecutive polymerization of melamine in an ethylene glycol solution containing the metal precursors followed by annealing. The gC3N4NTs, thus produced, possess a well-defined one-dimensional porous nanotube architecture, large surface area (240 m2 g−1), and a homogenous dispersion of Pd and Cu with no need for templates and/or multistep reactions. This merits the CO oxidation activity of Pd/Cu/gC3N4NTs by 56 °C and 96 °C higher than that of Pd/gC3N4NTs and Cu/gC3N4NTs, respectively. The CO2 reduction activity of Pd/Cu/gC3N4NTs was a 5.5-fold higher than metal-free gC3N4NTs. Also, the UV-light irradiation enhanced the CO2 performance of Pd/Cu/gC3N4NTs by three times. The presented study may pave the way for the utilization of metal-doped gC3N4NTs in various applications.