Amorphous titanium carbide on N-defective g-C3N5 for high-efficiency photocatalytic NO removal

Abstract

Photocatalytic NO removal is regarded as an attractive strategy to reduce NO pollution in the air, but the lack of efficient and stable catalysts impedes its applications. Herein, we report on developing Ti₃C₂ supported on N-defective g-C₃N₅ nanosheets (CN_X/TC) as an efficient photocatalyst toward NO removal. It is noteworthy that TC changed from crystal structure to amorphous structure during the photocatalytic process. Due to the existence of N vacancies and amorphous structure, the designed CN_X/TC composites possess abundant unsaturated sites for adsorption and activation of O₂ and NO, thus facilitating the removal of NO and inhibiting the generation of NO₂. The as-prepared CN_X/TC-2 % shows the best activity for NO removal and inhibits toxic NO₂ generation. The removal rate of NO is up to 48 %, which is about 2 and 4 times higher than those of pure CN_X and CN, respectively. In addition, the in situ diffused reflection Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy was used to investigate the NO transfer pathway during the photocatalytic process. This work might provide new insights into the catalytic role of N-defect and amorphous, inspiring the rational design of catalysts in the field of photocatalytic NO removal.