A novel method for synthesizing specific surface area modulable g-C3N4 photocatalyst with maize-like structure

The synthesis of g-C3N4 with a large specific surface area is highly desirable for developing g-C3N4-based photocatalysts with good activity. Herein, the specific surface area of g-C3N4 was enlarged by preconditioning its raw material via a preassembly method, and the prepared g-C3N4, which has an enlarged specific surface area, exhibited a special maize-like structure. Interestingly, the specific surface area of this maize-like g-C3N4 can be easily modulated by simply changing the amount of the special preconditioned precursor and the volume of the reaction cell used during the synthesis process, and the specific surface area can be enlarged to at least 224.11 m2/g. Several techniques, including transient-state photoluminescence spectroscopy, surface photovoltage response, and electrochemical measurements, confirmed that the charge separation property of g-C3N4 is enhanced by enlarging its specific surface area, and it also exhibited increased photocatalytic degradation ac-tivities. This work provides a feasible strategy for designing high-performance g-C3N4-based photocatalytic systems.