Design and preparation of highly crystalline K-intercalated W@PCN: an efficient material for aniline elimination

In this paper, we designed and prepared the polymeric carbon nitride-supported tungsten (W@PCN) materials. They were employed as the catalysts for photocatalytic oxidation of aniline in water. During the process, H₂O₂ was initially generated via the PCN-catalyzed hydrophotolysis. Catalyzed by supported tungsten, aniline was oxidized by the in situ generated H₂O₂ to obtain less toxic polyaniline. It was found that by using KBr as the additive, the highly crystalline K-intercalated material (W@PCN-K) could be prepared. Catalytic activity of the material was obviously enhanced due to its improved surface morphology with elevated specific surface areas. The novel highly crystalline K-intercalated material is expected to be applied in waste water treatment for its superior catalytic performances.