Preparation and Photocatalytic Performances of Au@g-C₃N₄ Scaffold

The plastic melamine.formaldehyde, which was synthesized from melamine, formaldehyde, and urea, was used as the precursor for the formation of the melamine. formaldehyde scaffold by the microwave foaming method. Then, Au was deposited on the melamine. formaldehyde scaffold by the magnetron sputtering. Finally, Au deposited graphite carbon nitride (Au@g-C3N4) scaffold with a specific surface area of 1 480 m(2).g(-1) was successfully prepared by the thermal polymerization at 550 degrees C. After deposited 6% Au, the UV. Vis spectrum of Au@g-C3N4 scaffold showed a new absorption peak at 550 nm, its absorption band edge was shifted to 507 nm, and its bandgap was reduced to 2.45 eV. Moreover, the fluorescence intensity and the electrochemical impedance decreased significant. ly, and the photocurrent increased from 0.28 to 0.62 mu A.cm(-2). The deposition of Au not only widens the UV. Vis absorption performance of Au@g-C3N4 scaffold but also inhibits the recombination of the electron. hole pairs. The photocatalytic performance of Au@g-C3N4 scaffold was stable, and its photocatalytic degradation rate for rhodamine B was about one time higher than that of g-C3N4 scaffold. Additionally, the Au@g-C3N4 scaffold would be easy to recycle and be reused in the applications, because the Au@ g-C3N4 scaffold has suitable tensile strength and toughness.