Bismuthiol-Mediated Synthesis of Ordered Carbon Nitride Nanosheets with Enhanced Photocatalytic Performance

The facile synthesis of ordered carbon nitride (CN) sheets with excellent photoactivity for hydrogen production and pollutant degradation is reported. To direct the synthesis of CN materials, sulfur-based supramolecular assemblies composed of bismuthiol and melamine are utilized. Upon calcination at high temperature, CN materials with tunable morphology, porosity, and photophysical properties are obtained. The influence of several parameters including solvents, solubility, and monomer concentration are studied to determine their effect on the supramolecular assemblies and on the resulting CN properties and photoactivity. The best CN, prepared in dimethyl sulfoxide as the solvent, exhibits high specific surface area, beneficial electronic structure, and excellent photocatalytic activity for the hydrogen evolution reaction and the degradation of rhodamine B dye.