Polymeric Carbon Nitrides for Photoelectrochemical Applications: Ring Opening-Induced Degradation
Florentina Iuliana Maxim,
Eugenia Tanasa,
Bogdan Mitrea,
Cornelia Diac,
Tomáš Skála,
Liviu Cristian Tanase,
Cătălin Ianăși,
Adrian Ciocanea,
Stefan Antohe,
Eugeniu Vasile,
Eugenia Fagadar-Cosma,
Serban N. Stamatin
Affiliations
Florentina Iuliana Maxim
3Nano-SAE Research Centre, University of Bucharest, Atomistilor 405, 077125 Magurele, Romania
Eugenia Tanasa
Department of Oxide Materials and Nanomaterials, Faculty of Applied Chemistry and Material Science, University POLITEHNICA of Bucharest, 060042 Bucharest, Romania
Bogdan Mitrea
3Nano-SAE Research Centre, University of Bucharest, Atomistilor 405, 077125 Magurele, Romania
Cornelia Diac
3Nano-SAE Research Centre, University of Bucharest, Atomistilor 405, 077125 Magurele, Romania
Tomáš Skála
Department of Surface and Plasma Science, Charles University, V Holešovičkách 2, 18000 Prague, Czech Republic
Liviu Cristian Tanase
National Institute of Materials Physics, Atomistilor 405A, 077125 Magurele, Romania
Cătălin Ianăși
“Coriolan Drăgulescu” Institute of Chemistry, Mihai Viteazul Ave. 24, 300223 Timisoara, Romania
Adrian Ciocanea
Hydraulics and Environmental Engineering Department, University POLITEHNICA of Bucharest, 060042 Bucharest, Romania
Stefan Antohe
Faculty of Physics, University of Bucharest, Atomistilor 405, 077125 Magurele, Romania
Eugeniu Vasile
Department of Oxide Materials and Nanomaterials, Faculty of Applied Chemistry and Material Science, University POLITEHNICA of Bucharest, 060042 Bucharest, Romania
Eugenia Fagadar-Cosma
“Coriolan Drăgulescu” Institute of Chemistry, Mihai Viteazul Ave. 24, 300223 Timisoara, Romania
Serban N. Stamatin
3Nano-SAE Research Centre, University of Bucharest, Atomistilor 405, 077125 Magurele, Romania
Active and stable materials that utilize solar radiation for promoting different reactions are critical for emerging technologies. Two of the most common polymeric carbon nitrides were prepared by the thermal polycondensation of melamine. The scope of this work is to investigate possible structural degradation before and after photoelectrochemical testing. The materials were characterized using synchrotron radiation and lab-based techniques, and subsequently degraded photoelectrochemically, followed by post-mortem analysis. Post-mortem investigations reveal: (1) carbon atoms bonded to three nitrogen atoms change into carbon atoms bonded to two nitrogen atoms and (2) the presence of methylene terminals in post-mortem materials. The study concludes that polymeric carbon nitrides are susceptible to photoelectrochemical degradation via ring opening.
