Graphitic Carbon Nitride as a Sustainable Catalyst for Selective Ethanol Oxidation

Graphitic carbon nitride (g-C3N4) is obtained via a simple procedure consisting of melamine heating in air without any templates and additional treatments. The prepared g-C3N4, being a metal-free material, demonstrates a promising catalytic performance for the selective oxidation of ethanol yielding acetaldehyde (conversion of ethanol up to 100%, yield of acetaldehyde up to 69%). In the investigated reaction conditions, a large content of C–NC species results in an enhanced selectivity toward acetaldehyde, while an increased content of tertiary nitrogen leads to the intensification of side product formation. Graphitic carbon nitride demonstrates high productivity for acetaldehyde and excellent stability without any deactivation.