Photocatalytic Nitrogen Oxide Removal Activity Improved Step-by-Step through Serial Multistep Cu Modifications

Previous research has evidenced the insufficient efficiency in a one-step modified photocatalyst for NO removal. In this article, a serial multistep modification was explored to improve the NO removal activity of g-C3N4. In the experiment, a g-C3N4 photocatalyst has been successfully modified by Cu elements three times on one continuous process. Meanwhile, results showed that the serial multistep modifications could improve NO removal activity by g-C3N4 step by step. The main active species in the g-C3N4 system were h+ and •O2– but they were h+ and •OH in the three-modified g-C3N4 systems. Moreover, different mechanisms of activity improvement caused by the modified Cu in the serial-modified samples were identified. In the first modified sample, Cu2+ can decompose H2O2 molecules into •OH via a Fenton-like reaction. In the second modified sample, the H2O2 molecule is activated by Cu0 and decomposed into •OH by the generated photoelectrons. After the third modification, the synergistic effects of the N vacancy and Cu0 were identified, which significantly enhanced the photocatalytic NO removal activity of g-C3N4. This study proposed that the serial multistep modification can be a promising method to improve the NO removal activity of g-C3N4 stage-by-stage.