Halloysite Derived 1d Mesoporous Tubular G-C(3)N4: Synergy Of Template Effect And Associated Carbon For Boosting Photocatalytic Performance Toward Tetracycline Removal

Halloysite, a natural clay mineral, has the advantages of hollow tubular morphology and abundant reserves. In this work, 1D mesoporous tubular g-C3N4 (TCN) was facilely synthesized through a calcination-leaching method using halloysite as a hard template for the first time. The synthesized 1D mesoporous tubular g-C3N4 could efficiently degrade tetracycline (TC) under visible light irradiation, and the highest degradation efficiency of TCN was 4.6 times that of g-C3N4 (CN). The mesoporous tubular structure endowed 1TCN with a higher specific surface area (about 3 times that of CN), more active sites, wider band gap, shortened electron transfer distance, and more defects. The presence of associated carbon in 1TCN from HNTs increased the transfer rate of electrons. Thus, the synergy of template effect and associated carbon accelerated the separation of photo-generated carriers and prevented their recombination, which was favorable for enhancing the photocatalytic activity. This study provides an efficient photocatalyst for TC removal, and explores the significant role of halloysite in the construction of 1D tubular material.