Annealing (glass)

Catalysis

Composite number

Engineering

Photocurrent

Fabrication

Materials science

Graphene

Layer (electronics)

Biochemistry

Molecule

Semiconductor

Carbon fibers

Chemical engineering

Sonication

Alternative medicine

Physics

Nanotechnology

Organic chemistry

Optics

van der Waals force

Carbon nitride

Thin film

Graphitic carbon nitride

Composite material

Monolayer

Dispersion (optics)

Medicine

Chemistry

Nitride

Photocatalysis

Optoelectronics

Exfoliation joint

Pathology

Journal of Alloys and Compounds

This paper reports the successful exfoliation of nanosheets from bulk g-C3N4 by using urea as a precursor. The alteration from bulk g-C3N4 powder, changed its semiconductor arrangements such as the optical absorption, chemical bonding, and topography images. A slow direct low thermal treatment (∼40 °C, 24 h) was proposed as a formation of a thinner layer by layer, complete and effective polymerization for an exfoliated g-C3N4. The photocurrent responses were more than two times higher for exfoliated g-C3N4 compared with bulk g-C3N4, reaching ∼4.37 μA cm−2 up to 10.21 μA cm−2 at 1.23 vs. (Ag/AgCl). This fabrication method involved dispersing of the highly stable g-C3N4 suspension onto FTO surface via spin coating, followed by a moderate post-annealing temperature at 350 °C. The monolayer g-C3N4 act as a photoelectrode, responding to light and dark current, and maintained its own intrinsic n-types properties. The interaction of the C and N atom with molecules of methanol (CH3OH) followed with vibration force (ultrasonication) produces the ultrafast drying and can transmit to disrupt the van der Waals forces within the g-C3N4 structure. Therefore, due to the ability the good performance, the exfoliated g-C3N4 can be envisioned as a potential application such as water splitting, solar cell, and environmental remediation.

Fabrication of exfoliated graphitic carbon nitride, (g-C3N4) thin film by methanolic dispersion