Synthesis of Ti-doped graphitic carbon nitride with improved photocatalytic activity under visible light

Ti-doped graphitic carbon nitride (g-C3N4) materials with different Ti doping concentrations have been synthesized through a simple pyrolysis method by using urea as the precursor and tetrabutyl titanate as a Ti source. X-ray diffraction, nitrogen adsorption-desorption, transmission electron microscopy and UV-visible diffuse reflectance spectra techniques were used to analyze the samples. It is observed that the doped Ti species can enter the lattice structure of g-C3N4 with a suitable doping concentration, and the obtained Ti-doped g-C3N4 materials have a hierarchical porosity with high specific surface area and large pore volume. Meanwhile, the introduction of Ti species can effectively extend the spectral response from UV to visible area for the g-C3N4. Because of these properties, the obtained Ti-doped g-C3N4 exhibited an enhanced photocatalytic activity in the degradation of RhB (Rhodamine B) under visible light.