Insight on the degradation of P-chlorophenol based on the Co-g-C3N4/ diatomite composite photo-Fenton process

The non-metallic photocatalyst g-C3N4 is characterized by non-toxicity and straightforward preparation. Still, the drawbacks of low specific surface area and fast carrier complexation rate limit its practical application in photocatalysis. In this work, Co-doped g-C3N4 was prepared on the surface of diatomite (DE) through a simple onestep calcination method and used to degrade 4-chlorophenol (4-CP). Photocatalytic experiments showed that Cog-C3N4/DE removed up to 98.7% of 4-CP. The doping of Co could capture the photogenerated electrons, thereby reducing the recombination of photocarriers and accelerating the oxidation-reduction reaction of Co3+/Co2+ and H2O2, promoting the generation of center dot OH. Introducing DE improved the aggregation of g-C3N4 and expanded its surface area. Moreover, the Co-g-C3N4/DE composite material exhibited a low metal leaching rate and good reusability throughout the experiments. In addition, based on DFT calculations, the ROS attack mechanism of 4CP degradation was speculated and calculated. The final product of 4-CP was found to pose a more minor environmental threat, according to the T.E.S.T. In short, the prepared Co-g-C3N4/DE composite realized the capture of photogenerated electrons and the acceleration of photocatalytic reactions, which are expected to solve the challenges in wastewater treatment.