Nanoporous N/O:sp2-C films functionalized at nonbonding electrons of a biogenic husk (green chili) with deep UV-visible light absorption-emission for photocatalysis and other applications

The wastewater, which is released at industries, depleting aquatic ecology, and stringent pollution regulations, is a global issue of safety of the green nature. There is an urgent need for developing sustainable materials for pollutant removal from the polluted ground and/or surface water. In this purview, a sp2_C (a synergistic photocatalyst) offers a special remedy to degrade toxics in the potable water. It is nontoxic and ecological, and readily adsorbs the pollutants in water. Here, we explore synthesis of a biogenic N/O doped C-sp2 (p-GNO) of a nanoporous husk (green chili) of many electron film-shaped particles. Nonbonding n1, n2 → π* electron transitions (≤ 3.0 eV) at N/O mediate to coherently excite p-GNO to its π → π* excited states (5.0 eV) via an up-energy conversion. That lead to separate the electron-hole ‘e−–h+’ pairs so to degrade the pollutants at the redox reactions. The p-GNO exhibits a prominent (002) XRD peak as it consists of (002) sp2-C layers of thin films (2 −5 nm thickness). Two allotropes coexist − one ρc = 2.11 g/cm3 density and other a higher ρc = 2.41 g/cm3, at atomic arrays twisted at the pores at 2 → 5 nm sizes (335.2 m2/g surface area). Small twins are shown at a 2−5 nm scale at the HRTEM images, with atomic thin interfaces at 3 → 25° slips. As tested at two pollutants methylene blue (MB) and 2-chlorophenol (2-CP), as much as 92.5% (87.5 % at 2-CP) ‘degradation removal efficiency’ is obtained at a 3.1 × 10−3 min−1 rate for MB under the identical conditions. So, p-GNO exhibits better features over many high grade photocatalysts. The mechanism of energy-transfer is described with models at n1, n2 ↔ π* energy-conversions at harmonics in deep UV-visible regions. The results are useful to design and develop value aided sp2-C and related hybrids for adsorption, photocatalysis, photonics, and other applications. [Display omitted]