Filmes finos de CNx foram depositados em temperatura ambiente, 350, 400, 500oC, por deposição a vapor de carbono sobre os substratos de Si(100) ou Si(111) com irradiação simultânea por íons derivado de gás N2 ou de mistura gasosa Ar-N2. A energia de íons variou de 150 a 600 eV e a razão de chegada, R(I/A), definida pela razão do fluxo de íons de nitrogênio incidentes relativa ao fluxo de átomos de carbono transportados ao substrato, foi de 1,0-2,5. A pressão de gás na câmara de vácuo foi mantida a 1,6 ×10-2 Pa durante o processo de deposição. A taxa de deposição dos filmes foi governada pelo sputtering químico. O rendimento de sputtering químico por íons de nitrogênio foi praticamente independente da energia de íons utilizada, enquanto que o rendimento de sputtering químico por íons de Ar e nitrogênio foi dependente da energia de íons devido ao efeito multiplicativo dos íons. Os espectros Raman medidos mostraram dois picos em torno de 1350 e 1560 cm-1, chamados do pico D e do G, respectivamente, e foram analisados em termos de: posição e largura do pico G, e razão das intensidades ID/IG. Os comportamentos destes parâmetros obtidos em função de R(I/A) foram explicados razoavelmente através do modelo de três estágios, sugerido por Ferrari et al., levando em consideração uma transição da fase característica de grafite a de fulereno, na qual a incorporação suficiente de nitrogênio em camadas grafíticas promove a formaao de anéis pentagonais que pode induzir o enrugamento em camadas, facilitando ligaoes entre as camadas através de átomos de carbono hibridizados de sp3. Um indício da ocorrência desta transição pode ser visto nos difratogramas de raios X dos filmes correspondentes. Neste contexto, os espectros Raman e de XPS dos filmes de CNx depositados previamente com o método RF magnetron sputtering reativo foram analisados e explicados consistentemente, levando-se em consideração a concentração de nitrogênio nos filmes. / Thin CNx films were deposited at room temperature, 350, 400, 500oC, by carbon vapor deposition on Si(100) or Si(111) substrates with simultaneous irradiation by íons derived from N2 gas or from a gas mixture of Ar-N2. The ion energy varied from 150 to 600 eV and the arrival rate ratio, R(I/A), defined as the ratio of the flux of incident nitrogen ions relative to flux of carbon atoms transported to the substrate, was in the range of 1.0-2.5. The gas pressure in the vacuum chamber was maintained at 1.6 × 10-2 Pa during the deposition. The deposition rate of the films was governed by chemical sputtering. The chemical sputtering field by nitrogen ions was practically independent of the ion energy used, while the chemical sputtering field by Ar and nitrogen ions was dependent on it due to the multiplicative effect of the ions. Raman spectra measured showed two peaks around 1350 and 1560 cm-1, called D and G peaks, respectively, and were analyzed in terms of: the G peak position and width, and the peak intensity ratio ID/IG. The behaviors of these parameters as a function of R(I/A) were explained reasonably through the three-stage model, suggested by Ferrari et al., taking into account a transition from a graphitelike phase to a fullerenlike phase, in which a sufficient incorporation of nitrogen into graphitic planes promotes a formation of pentagonal rings which can induce buckling of graphitic planes, facilitating cross-linking between the planes through sp3-hybridized carbon atoms. Evidence for this transition could be seen in X-ray diffratograms of the corresponding films. In this context, Raman and XPS spectra of CNx films previously deposited with the reactive RF magnetron sputtering method were analyzed and explained consistently, considering the nitrogen concentration in the films.

Graphitic carbon nitride (g-C3N4) heterojunction composites with the semiconducting metal oxides, CeO2, ZnO and TiO2 are prepared in situ by co-calcination of the precursor materials or by a solvothermal method. The structural, morphological and the optical properties of the prepared materials are studied using various microscopy and spectroscopy techniques. The synthesized composite materials, CeO2/g-C3N4, ZnO/g-C3N4 and TiO2/g-C3N4 are more efficient in the photocatalytic degradation of the water pollutants indigo carmine (IC) and atrazine than the pure metal oxide, g-C3N4, or their physical mixtures. The CeO2/g-C3N4 and ZnO/g-C3N4 composites also exhibit improved degradation efficiencies of atrazine as compared to the individual metal oxide or g-C3N4 materials. The improved photocatalytic activity of the composites are attributed to the effective electron-hole charge separation within composite heterojunction, resulting from the well matched energy levels of the metal oxide and g-C3N4. This strategy could be helpful for the synthesis of other metal oxide and g-C3N4 composites for photocatalytic applications.

In the first section of the thesis graphitic carbon nitride was for the first time synthesised using the high-temperature condensation of dicyandiamide (DCDA) – a simple molecular precursor – in a eutectic salt melt of lithium chloride and potassium chloride. The extent of condensation, namely next to complete conversion of all reactive end groups, was verified by elemental microanalysis and vibrational spectroscopy. TEM- and SEM-measurements gave detailed insight into the well-defined morphology of these organic crystals, which are not based on 0D or 1D constituents like known molecular or short-chain polymeric crystals but on the packing motif of extended 2D frameworks. The proposed crystal structure of this g-C3N4 species was derived in analogy to graphite by means of extensive powder XRD studies, indexing and refinement. It is based on sheets of hexagonally arranged s-heptazine (C6N7) units that are held together by covalent bonds between C and N atoms. These sheets stack in a graphitic, staggered fashion adopting an AB-motif, as corroborated by powder X-ray diffractometry and high-resolution transmission electron microscopy. This study was contrasted with one of many popular – yet unsuccessful – approaches in the last 30 years of scientific literature to perform the condensation of an extended carbon nitride species through synthesis in the bulk. The second section expands the repertoire of available salt melts introducing the lithium bromide and potassium bromide eutectic as an excellent medium to obtain a new phase of graphitic carbon nitride. The combination of SEM, TEM, PXRD and electron diffraction reveals that the new graphitic carbon nitride phase stacks in an ABA’ motif forming unprecedentedly large crystals. This section seizes the notion of the preceding chapter, that condensation in a eutectic salt melt is the key to obtain a high degree of conversion mainly through a solvatory effect. At the close of this chapter ionothermal synthesis is seen established as a powerful tool to overcome the inherent kinetic problems of solid state reactions such as incomplete polymerisation and condensation in the bulk especially when the temperature requirement of the reaction in question falls into the proverbial “no man’s land” of classical solvents, i.e. above 250 to 300 °C. The following section puts the claim to the test, that the crystalline carbon nitrides obtained from a salt melt are indeed graphitic. A typical property of graphite – namely the accessibility of its interplanar space for guest molecules – is transferred to the graphitic carbon nitride system. Metallic potassium and graphitic carbon nitride are converted to give the potassium intercalation compound, K(C6N8)3 designated according to its stoichiometry and proposed crystal structure. Reaction of the intercalate with aqueous solvents triggers the exfoliation of the graphitic carbon nitride material and – for the first time – enables the access of singular (or multiple) carbon nitride sheets analogous to graphene as seen in the formation of sheets, bundles and scrolls of carbon nitride in TEM imaging. The thus exfoliated sheets form a stable, strongly fluorescent solution in aqueous media, which shows no sign in UV/Vis spectroscopy that the aromaticity of individual sheets was subject to degradation. The final section expands on the mechanism underlying the formation of graphitic carbon nitride by literally expanding the distance between the covalently linked heptazine units which constitute these materials. A close examination of all proposed reaction mechanisms to-date in the light of exhaustive DSC/MS experiments highlights the possibility that the heptazine unit can be formed from smaller molecules, even if some of the designated leaving groups (such as ammonia) are substituted by an element, R, which later on remains linked to the nascent heptazine. Furthermore, it is suggested that the key functional groups in the process are the triazine- (Tz) and the carbonitrile- (CN) group. On the basis of these assumptions, molecular precursors are tailored which encompass all necessary functional groups to form a central heptazine unit of threefold, planar symmetry and then still retain outward functionalities for self-propagated condensation in all three directions. Two model systems based on a para-aryl (ArCNTz) and para-biphenyl (BiPhCNTz) precursors are devised via a facile synthetic procedure and then condensed in an ionothermal process to yield the heptazine based frameworks, HBF-1 and HBF-2. Due to the structural motifs of their molecular precursors, individual sheets of HBF-1 and HBF-2 span cavities of 14.2 Å and 23.0 Å respectively which makes both materials attractive as potential organic zeolites. Crystallographic analysis confirms the formation of ABA’ layered, graphitic systems, and the extent of condensation is confirmed as next-to-perfect by elemental analysis and vibrational spectroscopy. / Die vorliegende Arbeit befasst sich mit der Synthese und Charakterisierung neuer Allotropen und Nanostrukturen von Karbonitriden und berührt einige ihrer möglichen Anwendungen. Alle gezeigten, ausgedehnten, kovalent verbundenen Karbonitridgerüste wurden in einem ionothermalen Syntheseprozess – einer Hochtemperaturbehandlung in einem eutektischen Salzgemisch als ungewöhnlichem Lösungsmittel – aus einfachen Präkursormolkülen erzeugt. Der Kondensationsmechanismus folgt einer temperaturinduzierten Deaminierung und Bildung einer ausgedehnten, aromatischen Einheit; des dreifach substituierten Heptazines. Die Dissertation folgt vier übergreifenden Themen, beginnend mit der Einleitung in Karbonitridsysteme und der Suche nach einem Material, welches einzig aus Kohlenstoff und Stickstoff aufgebaut ist – einer Suche, die 1834 mit den Beobachtungen Justus von Liebigs „über einige Stickstoffverbindungen“ begann. Der erste Abschnitt zeigt die erfolgreiche Synthese von graphitischem Karbonitrid (g-C3N4); einer Spezies, welche auf Schichten hexagonal angeordneter s-Heptazineinheiten beruht, die durch kovalente Bindungen zwischen C- und N-Atomen zusammengehalten werden, und welche in einer graphitischen, verschobenen Art und Weise gestapelt sind. Der zweite Abschnitt berührt die Vielfalt von Salzschmelzensystemen, die für die Ionothermalsynthese geeignet sind und zeigt auf, dass die bloße Veränderung der Salzschmelze eine andere Kristallphase des graphitischen Karbonitrides ergibt – das g-C3N4-mod2. Im dritten Abschnitt wird vom Graphit bekannte Interkallationschemie auf das g-C3N4 angewendet, um eine Kalliuminterkallationsverbindung des graphitischen Karbonitirdes zu erhalten (K(C6N8)3). Diese Verbindung kann in Analogie zum graphitischen System leicht exfoliiert werden, um Bündel von Karbonitridnanoschichten zu erhalten, und weist darüberhinaus interessante optische Eigenschaften auf. Der vierte und letzte Abschnitt handelt von der Einführung von Aryl- und Biphenylbrücken in das Karbonitridmaterial durch rationale Synthese der Präkursormoleküle. Diese ergeben die heptazinbasierten Frameworks, HBF-1 und HBF-2 – zwei kovalente, organische Gerüste.

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Pure g-C3N4 and MoS2 modified g-C3N4 materials were synthesized using a facile heating method and a low-temperature hydrothermal method, respectively. The obtained samples were characterized by XRD pattern and N2 adsorption-desorption technique at 77K. The adsorption and photocatalytic performance of all obtained samples were investigated by discoloration of direct black 38 dye in the dark and under visible light irradiation. The results showed that all obtained samples exhibited good discoloration efficiency of direct black 38 dye. The two factors including pH values and Mo loading effected mainly on elimination efficiency of direct black 38 dye. MoS2 modified g-C3N4 materials possessed the more enhanced adsorption and photocatalytic performance in comparison to pure g-C3N4 at pH value of 3.5, with adsorbent dosage of 0.1 g/L. Furthermore, it was found that the adsorption process and photo-catalysis simultaneously occurred under visible light irradiation and followed up a pseudo-second-order kinetic reaction of Langmuir - Hinshelwood model. / g-C3N4 và g-C3N4 biến tính bởi MoS2 đã được tổng hợp theo phương pháp nung đơn giản và phương pháp thủy nhiệt ở nhiệt độ thấp tương ứng. Các mẫu tổng hợp đã được đánh giá đặc trưng bởi các phương pháp hiện đại như giản đồ nhiễu xạ tia X, phương pháp hấp phụ-khử hấp phụ N2 ở 77K. Khả năng hấp phụ và quang hóa xúc tác của các vật liệu tổng hợp đã được nghiên cứu bởi quá trình phân hủy màu thuốc nhuộm direct black 38 trong điều kiện bóng tối và chiếu sáng bởi ảnh sáng nhìn thấy của đèn chiếu sáng sợi đốt wolfram (220V-100W). Các kết quả nghiên cứu chỉ ra rằng các mẫu tổng hợp đều có hiệu suất xử lý màu cao đối với thuốc nhuộm direct black 38. Hai yếu tố gồm pH dung dịch và hàm lượng MoS2 ảnh hưởng chính đến hiệu suất xử lý màu direct black 38. g-C3N4 biến tính bởi MoS2 luôn thể hiện hiệu suất hấp phụ và quang hóa cao hơn so với g-C3N4 tinh khiết. Hơn nữa, khi được chiếu sáng bởi ánh sáng nhìn thấy thì quá trình hấp phụ và quá trình quang hóa thuốc nhuộm direct black 38 trên các vật liệu tổng hợp đã xảy ra đồng thời và mô hình Langmuir - Hinshelwood động học bậc 2 đã được đề xuất cho quá trình này.

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No description available.

The path towards mitigation of anthropogenic greenhouse gas emissions lies in the transition from conventional to sustainable energy resources. The Hydrogen Economy, a cyclic economy based on hydrogen as a fuel, is suggested as a tool in the necessary energy transition. Photocatalysis makes use of sunlight to promote thermodynamically non-favoured reactions such as water splitting, allowing for sustainable hydrogen production. Harvesting thermal energy along with photonic energy is an interesting concept to decrease the activation energy of water splitting (i.e. ΔG = + 237.2 kJ∙mol−1). This work aims to confront this hypothesis in a gas phase photo-thermal reactor designed specifically for this study. The photocatalyst chosen is graphitic carbon nitride (g-C3N4), an organic semiconductor possessing a narrow band gap (i.e. 2.7 eV) as well as a band structure which theoretically permits water splitting. The photocatalytic performance of Pt/g-C3N4 for hydrogen evolution was tuned by altering its synthetic temperature. Electron paramagnetic resonance was used to gain insight on the evolution of the photocatalyst activity with synthesis temperature. Then, gold nanoparticles were deposited on g-C3N4 surface. Localized surface plasmon resonance properties of gold nanoparticles are reported in the literature to be influenced by temperature. Therefore Au/g-C3N4 appeared as a promising candidate for photo-thermal water splitting. X-ray spectroscopy unveiled interesting observations on the gold oxidation state. Moreover, under specific reduction conditions, gold nanoparticles with a wide variety of shapes characterized by sharp edges were formed. Finally, the development of the photo-thermal reactor is presented. The design process and the implementation of this innovative reactor are discussed. The reactor was successfully utilized to probe photoreactions. Then, the highly energy-demanding photocatalytic water splitting was proven not to be activated by temperature in the photo-thermal apparatus.

Technologies laser pour l’élaboration de matériaux carbonés pour microsystèmes analytiques environnementaux. Pas de résumé en français fourni / Amorphous carbon nitride (a-CzN) material has attractor much attention in research and development. Recently, it has become a more promising electrode material than conventional carbon based electrodes in electrochemical and biosensor applications. Nitrogen containing amorphous carbon (a-C:N) thin films have been synthesized by femtosecond pulsed laser deposition (fs-PLD) coupled with plasma assistance through Direct Current (DC) bias power supply. During the deposition process, various nitrogen pressures (0 to 50 Pa) and DC bias (0 to -350 V) were used in order to explore a wide range of nitrogen content into the film. The structure and chemical composition of the films have been studied by using Multi-wavelength (MW) Roman spectroscopy, electron energy-loss spectroscopy (EELS), X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy (XPS) and high-resolution transmission electron microscopy (HRTBM). The surface morphology has been studied by Scanning Electron Microscopy (SEM) and Atomic Force Microscopy (AFM). Increasing the nitrogen pressure or adding a DC bias induced an increase of the N content, up to 28 at.%. Nitrogen content increase induces a higher sp2 character of the film. However DC bias has been found to increase the film structmal disorder, which was detrimental to the electrochemical properties. Indeed the electrochemical measurern-ts, investigated by cyclic voltammetry (CV), demonstrated that the a-CzNfilms show better electron transfer kinetics, reversibility and excellent reproducibility than the pure a-C films. Electrochemical grafting from diazoniurn salts was successfully achieved on this film, with a surface coverage of covalently bonded molecules close to the dense packed monolayer of ferrocene

M. Tech. (Department of Chemistry, Faculty of Applied and Computer Sciences), Vaal University of Technology. / The presence of organic and inorganic pollutants in aqueous environments is one of the major challenges confronting man. It is therefore important to develop sensitive, versatile and cheap techniques for their detection. Arsenic (III), 2-chlorophenol (2-CP) and sulfamethoxazole (SMX) are priority pollutants that pose health threats to humans and animals. This study was thus aimed at exploring two promising carbon nanomaterials as electrode modifiers for the electrochemical sensing of arsenic (III), 2-CP and SMX in water. Glassy carbon electrode (GCE) was modified with a nanocomposite of carbon dots (CDs) and graphitic carbon nitride (g-C3N4) and used as a sensor for the analytes in aqueous media. The CDs was prepared by a facile one-pot hydrothermal method using pine cone as the carbon source; g-C3N4 and g-C3N4/CDs nanocomposite were prepared via the microwave irradiation heating method. CDs, g-C3N4 and g-C3N4/CDs were dropped-dried on the surface of bare GCE. Transmission electron microscopy (TEM), X-ray diffraction (XRD) and Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy (FTIR) were used to characterize the prepared materials. GCE, g-C3N4/GCE, CDs/GCE and g-C3N4/CDs/GCE electrodes were electrochemically investigated by electrochemical impedance spectroscopy (EIS) and cyclic voltammetry (CV) using a ferrocyanide [Fe (CN) 6]3-/4- redox probe. The current and the reversibility of the redox probes were enhanced in the presence of modifiers. The electrochemical behavior of arsenic (III), 2-CP and SMX on different electrodes (GCE, CDs/GCE, g-C3N4/GCE and g-C3N4/CDs/GCE) were investigated by differential pulse voltammetry (DPV) under optimized conditions in a phosphate buffer solution (pH 7.6, 6 and 5 for 2-CP, As (III) and SMX respectively). The results demonstrated that the g-C3N4/CDs/GCE electrode significantly enhanced the oxidation peak current of all three analytes. The detection sensitivity of the analytes was greatly improved, suggesting that this new modified electrode has great potential in the determination of trace level of arsenic (III), 2-CP and SMX in water. The oxidation peak currents displayed a linear relationship to concentrations for 2-CP (0.5 - 2.5 μM, R2=0.958, n=5), arsenic (III) (2 - 10 μM R2=0.978, n=5) and SMX (0.3 - 1.3 μM R2=0.9906, n=5). The detection limits of 0.62 μM, 1.64 μM and 0.10 μM were obtained for 2-CP, arsenic and SMX, respectively. Phenol and 4-chloro-3-methyl-phenol were found to interfere with the detection of 2-CP, while, Cu2+, Zn2+, Pb2+ and Cd2+ were the only significant ions that interfered with the electrochemical detection of arsenic (III). EDTA was used as a ligand to mask the interference effects of copper, cadmium, lead and zinc on arsenic sensing. The modified electrode (g-C3N4/CDs/GCE) was used to determine arsenic, 2-CP and SMX in spiked tap and effluent water samples by the standard addition method and the results showed percentage recoveries varying from 93-118% for 2-CP, 98-100% for arsenic and 80-105% for SMX. The outcomes of this study established that the nanocomposite material represents an easy and sensitive sensing platform for the monitoring of arsenic (III), 2-CP and SMX in aqueous media.