NO x degradation ability of S-g-C 3 N 4 /MgAl-CLDH nanocomposite and its potential application in cement-based materials.

In this study a new photocatalytic nanocomposite, S-g-C ₃ N ₄ /MgAl-CLDH, was synthesized and implemented into cement mortar by internal mixing or coating. The photocatalytic NO _x degradation efficiency of the S-g-C ₃ N ₄ /MgAl-CLDH and photocatalytic mortar was investigated. The NO _x degradation efficiency and photoluminescence spectra of S-g-C ₃ N ₄ /MgAl-CLDH after being immersed in the simulated concrete pore solution were evaluated to assess its chemical stability. The results show that compared with S-g-C ₃ N ₄ , the S-g-C ₃ N ₄ /MgAl-CLDH exhibits a narrower bandgap (2.45 eV), a lower photogenerated electron-hole pair recombination rate and a higher specific surface area (36.86 m ² g ^-1 ). After 21 min of visible light irradiation, the NO _x degradation rate of S-g-C ₃ N ₄ /MgAl-CLDH achieves 100% as compared to merely 81.5% of S-g-C ₃ N ₄ . After being submerged in simulated concrete pore solution, the S-g-C ₃ N ₄ /MgAl-CLDH exhibits only a slight decrease of 5% in degradation rate after 12 min of irradiation, confirming a good compatibility and stability in cement-based materials. The NO _x degradation ability of the internally mixed mortar is enhanced with an increase in the dosage of S-g-C ₃ N ₄ /MgAl-CLDH. For coated mortar, in contrast, a decline in NO _x degradation rate is observed after 5 layers of coating owing to the lower porosity of mortar after excessive coating.
Competing Interests: The authors declare that they have no known competing financial interests or personal relationships that could have appeared to influence the work reported in this paper.
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