Comparison of carbon nitride nanosheets synthesized by thermal and ultrasonic thermal (combined) methods

In this research, carbon nitride nanosheets were synthesized from melamine precursor by both thermal and combined methods. Melamine first reached 550 °C for 75 minutes and remained at this temperature for 4 hours until g-C3N4 was obtained. In the heating method, the produced g-C3N4 reached 500 °C for 100 minutes and stored at this temperature for 3 hours to obtain nanosheet carbon nitride. In the combined approach, g-C3N4 was first sonicated for 130 minutes in a solution of water and ethanol and then the heating process was repeated for it. Sample characterization by X-ray diffraction (XRD), scanning electron microscopy (FE-SEM), Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy (FTIR), and Brunauer-Emmett-Teller (BET) surface area analysis were done. The photocatalytic performance of the samples was evaluated by measuring the degradation of the rhodamine b. It was found that both methods are capable of producing carbon nitride of nanosheet shape. In the combined approach, over the same period, nanosheets of about 30% less thickness than the heating method can be made. Samples that were made by the combined way showed better photocatalytic activity than thermal samples.