Research on the Effect of Pulsed Discharge Plasma With g-C₃N₄ for Water Treatment

Abstract

Plasma-assisted catalysts for water treatment have attracted increasing attention due to their high energy efficiency. In this article, graphite phase carbon nitride (g-C3N4) is used as a catalyst for synergistic plasma discharge in water treatment. The discharge characteristics of g-C3N4, the generation of H2O2, and the changes in the physical and chemical properties of the catalyst before and after discharge have been studied. The results showed that after adding the catalyst, the current and power were slightly lower than those without the catalyst at the same voltage. However, the amount of H2O2 produced is about twice that of the original under the same processing time. Furthermore, the physical properties of the catalyst showed a significant increase in the relative surface area of g-C3N4 after discharge, while the pore volume of the catalyst also increased. Regarding chemical properties, the oxygen content of g-C3N4 continues to increase after discharge, and the ratio of carbon and nitrogen elements also continues to increase. These changes suggest that the plasma generated by the discharge enhanced the catalytic effect of the g-C3N4. Finally, the treatment of the target pollutant shows that the addition of g-C3N4 resulted in significantly higher degradation efficiency and energy efficiency compared to the absence of g-C3N4.