Single Step Transformation of Urea into Metal-Free g-C₃N₄ Nanoflakes for Visible-Light Photocatalytic Degradation of Crystal Violet Dye

Abstract

The danger that dyes pose to the biosphere is a worry for the entire planet. So, it is essential to remove these colors using the appropriate methods from the aquatic system. The best and most efficient approach for removing colors from water and wastewater is photodegradation utilizing graphitic carbon nitride (g-C3N4). The photocatalytic activity of the g-C3N4 nanoflakes down the visible light was examined in the current work using crystal violet dye. Due to its high efficiency, visible light radiation is typically used to photodegrade dyes. The environmentally benign molecular precursor urea was employed to initiate a single-step pyrolysis procedure that yielded g-C3N4 nanoflakes. The efficiency of the urea conversion process was determined at 550 °C. X-ray diffraction analysis has confirmed the graphitic phase of the synthesized carbon nitride material. The layered structure of the sp2 hybridized carbon and nitrogen bonding characteristics is confirmed by FT-IR analysis. The synthesized g-C3N4 has a nanosheet like morphology according to HRTEM analysis. g-C3N4 showed enhanced photocatalytic activity resulting in 97 % mineralisation of Crystal Violet (CV) dye and also compared its efficacy with dye concentration. All photocatalytic behavior was analysed by using a UV–Visible spectrophotometer.