METAL-FREE GRAPHITIC CARBON NITRIDE FOR WATER TREATMENT AND ENERGY STORAGE

Abstract

Carbon nitride has gained extensive attention in the past few years for its diverse potential in water treatment and energy storage. It has inspired a new group of multifunctional platforms for electronic, catalytic, and energy applications due to its unique electrical, optical, structural, and physiochemical properties. In this thesis, we have developed a red-in-color carbon nitride with enhanced visible-light absorption and improved photocatalytic activity. These metal-free photocatalysts have successfully demonstrated their function in water treatment such as photocatalytic degradation of endocrine-disrupting chemicals. The band structures and degradation mechanisms were studied and postulated, with various characterization and analyses. Furthermore, a new type of carbon nitride-based super dielectric material was developed for energy storage. The new super dielectric material has demonstrated several advantages such as increased energy and power density, reduced thickness, wider voltage window, and better cyclic stability. The development of carbon nitride in this thesis contributes to our understanding of this emerging material and its potential application in future.