Novel ternary g-C3N4/Ag3VO4/AgBr nanocomposites with excellent visible-light-driven photocatalytic performance for environmental applications

Novel visible-light-induced photocatalysts were fabricated by integration of Ag₃VO₄ and AgBr semiconductors with graphitic carbon nitride (g-C₃N₄) through a facile refluxing method. The fabricated photocatalysts were extensively characterized by XRD, EDX, SEM, TEM, FT-IR, UV–vis DRS, BET, TGA, and PL instruments. The photocatalytic performance of these samples was studied by degradations of three dye contaminants under visible-light exposure. Among the ternary photocatalysts, the g-C₃N₄/Ag₃VO₄/AgBr (10%) nanocomposite displayed the maximum activity for RhB degradation with rate constant of 1366.6 × 10⁻⁴ min⁻¹, which is 116, 7.23, and 38.5 times as high as those of the g-C₃N₄, g-C₃N₄/AgBr (10%), and g-C₃N₄/Ag₃VO₄ (30%) photocatalysts, respectively. The effects of synthesis time and calcination temperature were also investigated and discussed. Furthermore, according to the trapping experiments, it was found that superoxide anion radicals were the predominant reactive species in this system. Finally, the ternary photocatalyst displayed superlative activity in removal of the contaminants under visible-light exposure, displaying great potential of this ternary photocatalyst for environmental remediation, because of a facile synthesis route and outstanding photocatalytic performance.     

Ag/Ag3PO4/g-C3N4三元复合光催化剂的制备及其可见光驱动下的光催化活性增强

报道了一种新型Ag/Ag₃PO₄/g-C₃N₄三元复合光催化剂的制备及其半导体界面处的快速载流子分离所引起的光催化活性的显著增强效应。通过X射线衍射,扫描电子显微镜,紫外-可见吸收光谱以及光致发光光谱等就其晶体结构、形貌、组分、光学吸收以及载流子的快速分离行为进行了表征与分析。以罗丹明B作为模型化合物分子,研究发现,所制备的Ag/Ag₃PO₄/g-C₃N₄三元复合光催化剂在可见光照射下表现出比Ag₃PO₄以及Ag₃PO₄/g-C₃N₄二元催化剂更为优异的光催化活性。研究认为,Ag₃PO₄表面尺寸约为40 nm的Ag纳米粒子在可见光下受激所产生的等离子表面共振效应以及Ag₃PO₄与g-C₃N₄界面处所形成的类似异质结结构对所制备的Ag/Ag₃PO₄/g-C₃N₄三元复合光催化剂光催化活性的显著增强起到重要作用。     

Novel visible-light-driven photocatalyst of NiO/Cd/g-C3N4 for enhanced degradation of methylene blue

Novel NiO/Cd/g-C₃N₄ photocatalysts were synthesized using a green and straightforward microwave-assisted method and characterized by X-ray diffraction (XRD), Fourier-transform infrared spectroscopy (FT-IR), the Brunauer–Emmett–Teller (BET) method, transmission electron microscopy (TEM), scanning electron microscopy (SEM), energy-dispersive X-ray spectroscopy (EDS), and ultraviolet–visible spectroscopy (UV–Vis). The ternary NiO/Cd/g-C₃N₄ nanocomposites were evaluated for the degradation of methylene blue (MB) at room temperature under the visible light irradiation. Experimental results revealed that the weight percent of cadmium had a remarkable effect on the photodegradation efficiency. The NiO/Cd/g-C₃N₄ (0.1%) sample exhibited superior activity in the degradation reaction. The activity of this nanocomposite was about 4.5 and 3.25 fold higher than those of the pure g-C₃N₄ and NiO/g-C₃N₄ samples in the degradation of MB, respectively. The enhanced photocatalytic activity was attributed to the low energy gap, increased absorption capacity of the visible light, and efficient suppression of the recombination of photogenerated electron-hole pairs. A detailed photocatalytic mechanism over the nanocomposite of NiO/Cd/g-C₃N₄ (0.1%) was proposed with superoxide radical anion O₂^– as the main reactive species. The stability of the nanocomposite was confirmed after four consecutive runs as well.     

一锅法制备Co3O4/g-C3N4复合光催化剂及其光催化性能

以三聚氰胺和六水合氯化钴为原料,一锅法制备Co_3O_4负载的多孔石墨相氮化碳(Co_3O_4/g-C_3N_4)复合光催化材料。采用X射线衍射(XRD)、傅里叶变换红外(FT-IR)光谱、X射线光电子能谱(XPS)、扫描电子显微镜(SEM)、透射电子显微镜(TEM)、紫外-可见漫反射光谱(UV-Vis DRS)、光致发光光谱(PL)等手段对其结构和光学特性进行表征。以盐酸四环素(TC)为目标污染物,评价了不同负载量Co_3O_4/g-C_3N_4复合光催化剂的可见光催化性能。结果表明,所制备的Co_3O_4/g-C_3N_4复合光催化剂为多孔结构,其比表面积较大,并在可见光区域具有显著的吸收。利用原位生成的Co_3O_4纳米粒子在氮化碳表面形成异质结构,可有效转移光生载流子,降低光生电子-空穴的再结合率,从而提高光催化活性。并且存在最佳Co_3O_4复合量,当六水合氯化钴加入量为三聚氰胺的8%(w/w)时,所制备的复合光催化剂CoCN-8具有最佳的光催化性能。在可见光的照射下,60 min内可降解85%的TC,而同样条件下,纯g-C_3N_4仅降解23%的TC。     

Highly Efficient Ag3PO4/g-C3N4 Z-Scheme Photocatalyst for Its Enhanced Photocatalytic Performance in Degradation of Rhodamine B and Phenol

Ag₃PO₄/g-C₃N₄ heterojunctions, with different g-C₃N₄ dosages, were synthesized using an in situ deposition method, and the photocatalytic performance of g-C₃N₄/Ag₃PO₄ heterojunctions was studied under simulated sunlight conditions. The results revealed that Ag₃PO₄/g-C₃N₄ exhibited excellent photocatalytic degradation activity for rhodamine B (Rh B) and phenol under the same light conditions. When the dosage of g-C₃N₄ was 30%, the degradation rate of Rh B at 9 min and phenol at 30 min was found to be 99.4% and 97.3%, respectively. After five cycles of the degradation experiment for Rh B, g-C₃N₄/Ag₃PO₄ still demonstrated stable photodegradation characteristics. The significant improvement in the photocatalytic activity and stability of g-C₃N₄/Ag₃PO₄ was attributed to the rapid charge separation between g-C₃N₄ and Ag₃PO₄ during the Z-scheme charge transfer and recombination process.     

Advantageous Interfacial Effects of AgPd/g-C3N4 for Photocatalytic Hydrogen Evolution: Electronic Structure and H2O Dissociation

Bimetallic AgPd nanoparticles have been synthesized before, but the interfacial electronic effects of AgPd on the photocatalytic performance have been investigated less. In this work, the results of hydrogen evolution suggest that the bimetallic AgPd/g-C₃N₄ sample has superior activity to Ag/g-C₃N₄ and Pd/g-C₃N₄ photocatalysts. The UV/Vis diffuse reflectance spectroscopy, X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy, CO adsorption diffuse reflectance FTIR spectroscopy, and FTIR results demonstrate that in the AgPd/g-C₃N₄, the surface electronic structures of Pd and Ag are changed, which is beneficial for faster photogenerated electron transfer and greater H₂O molecule adsorption. In situ ESR spectra suggest that, under visible light irradiation, there is more H₂O dissociation to radical species on the AgPd/g-C₃N₄ photocatalyst. Furthermore, DFT calculations confirm the interfacial electronic effects of AgPd/g-C₃N₄, that is, Pd^δ−⋅⋅⋅Ag^δ+, and the activation energy of H₂O molecule dissociation on AgPd/g-C₃N₄ is the lowest, which is the main contributor to the enhanced photocatalytic H₂ evolution.     

Bi2Fe4O9/g-C3N4/UiO-66三元复合材料的协同光催化作用

通过水热法合成具有协同机制的三元复合材料Bi₂Fe₄O₉/g-C₃N₄/UiO-66,研究表明三元复合光催化剂的催化活性要高于二元材料和纯材料。这主要是由于Bi₂Fe₄O₉更易于和g-C₃N₄结合形成稳定的Z-scheme异质结结构,使三元复合材料增强了可见光响应能力,提高了电子-空穴分离能力,增强了空穴和电子的氧化还原能力。     

Bi2Fe4O9/g-C3N4/UiO-66三元复合材料的协同光催化作用

通过水热法合成具有协同机制的三元复合材料Bi₂Fe₄O₉/g-C₃N₄/UiO-66,研究表明三元复合光催化剂的催化活性要高于二元材料和纯材料。这主要是由于Bi₂Fe₄O₉更易于和g-C₃N₄结合形成稳定的Z-scheme异质结结构,使三元复合材料增强了可见光响应能力,提高了电子-空穴分离能力,增强了空穴和电子的氧化还原能力。     

Hydrogen production and photocatalytic activity of g-C3N4/Co-MOF (ZIF-67) nanocomposite under visible light irradiation

Herein, cobalt (Co)-based metal–organic zeolitic imidazole frameworks (ZIF-67) coupled with g-C₃N₄ nanosheets synthesized via a simple microwave irradiation method. SEM, TEM and HR-TEM results showed that ZIF-67 were uniformly dispersed on g-C₃N₄ surfaces and had a rhombic dodecahedron shape. The photocatalytic properties of g-C₃N₄/ZIF-67 nanocomposite were evaluated by photocatalytic dye degradation of crystal violet (CV), 4-chlorophenol (4-CP) and photocatalytic hydrogen (H₂) production. In presence of visible light illumination, the photocatalytic dye results showed that 95% CV degradation and 53% 4-CP degradation within 80 min. The H₂ production of the g-C₃N₄/ZIF-67 composite was 2084 μmol g⁻¹, which is 3.84 folds greater than that of bare g-C₃N₄ (541 μmol g⁻¹).     

Fabrication of noble-metal-free NiS<Subscript>2</Subscript>/g-C<Subscript>3</Subscript>N<Subscript>4</Subscript> hybrid photocatalysts with visible light-responsive photocatalytic activities

Nanocomposites of NiS₂ with graphitic carbon nitride (NiS₂/g-C₃N₄) have been successfully synthesized by means of a facile hydrothermal method. The photocatalytic activities of as-prepared samples were evaluated by monitoring the photodecomposition of rhodamine B under visible light irradiation. The experimental results indicated that visible light-driven NiS₂/g-C₃N₄ composites exhibited an enhanced photocatalytic activity compared to that of pure NiS₂, due to the fast generation, separation and transportation of the photogenerated carriers resulting from the addition of NiS₂ nanoparticles (NPs). Interestingly, different amounts of NiS₂ deposition can affect the photocatalytic activities of the NiS₂/g-C₃N₄ composites. A suitable loading amount of NiS₂ NPs presents the best photodegradation performance. The photocatalytic reaction mechanism for the improved photocatalytic performance of NiS₂/g-C₃N₄ catalyst was proposed which was supported by PL, PEC, EIS and active species trapping results. A promising strategy presented here provides a facile route towards the development of economical, noble metal-free composites as photocatalysts for the applications in environmental remediation.     

Direct electrospinning method for the construction of Z-scheme TiO2/g-C3N4/RGO ternary heterojunction photocatalysts with remarkably ameliorated photocatalytic performance

A series of Z-scheme TiO₂/g-C₃N₄/RGO ternary heterojunction photocatalysts are successfully constructed via a direct electrospinning technique coupled with an annealing process for the first time. They are investigated comprehensively in terms of crystal structure, morphology, composition, specific surface area, photoelectrochemical properties, photodegradation performance, etc. Compared with binary TiO₂/g-C₃N₄ and single-component photocatalysts, ternary heterojunction photocatalysts show the best photodegradation performance for RhB under stimulated sunlight. This can be attributed to the enlarged specific surface area (111.41 m²/g), the formation of Z-scheme heterojunction, and the high separation migration efficiency of photoexcited charge carriers. A potential Z-scheme mechanism for ternary heterojunction photocatalysts is proposed to elucidate the remarkably ameliorated photocatalytic performance based on active species trapping experiments, PL detection test of hydroxyl radicals, and photoelectrochemical properties.     

Synthesis and Characterization of an α-Fe2O3-Decorated g-C3N4 Heterostructure for the Photocatalytic Removal of MO

This study describes the preparation of graphitic carbon nitride (g-C₃N₄), hematite (α-Fe₂O₃), and their g-C₃N₄/α-Fe₂O₃ heterostructure for the photocatalytic removal of methyl orange (MO) under visible light illumination. The facile hydrothermal approach was utilized for the preparation of the nanomaterials. Powder X-ray diffraction (XRD), Scanning electron microscopy (SEM), Energy dispersive X-ray (EDX), and Brunauer–Emmett–Teller (BET) were carried out to study the physiochemical and optoelectronic properties of all the synthesized photocatalysts. Based on the X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy (XPS) and UV-visible diffuse reflectance (DRS) results, an energy level diagram vs. SHE was established. The acquired results indicated that the nanocomposite exhibited a type-II heterojunction and degraded the MO dye by 97%. The degradation ability of the nanocomposite was higher than that of pristine g-C₃N₄ (41%) and α-Fe₂O₃ (30%) photocatalysts under 300 min of light irradiation. The formation of a type-II heterostructure with desirable band alignment and band edge positions for efficient interfacial charge carrier separation along with a larger specific surface area was collectively responsible for the higher photocatalytic efficiency of the g-C₃N₄/α-Fe₂O₃ nanocomposite. The mechanism of the nanocomposite was also studied through results obtained from UV-vis and XPS analyses. A reactive species trapping experiment confirmed the involvement of the superoxide radical anion (O₂^•−) as the key reactive oxygen species for MO removal. The degradation kinetics were also monitored, and the reaction was observed to be pseudo-first order. Moreover, the sustainability of the photocatalyst was also investigated.     

ZnO-based ternary nanocomposite for decolorization of methylene blue by photocatalytic dynamic membrane

In this article, novel Ag–ZnO/g-C₃N₄/GO ternary nanocomposites were prepared via co-precipitation method by 1%w Ag, 50% w g-C₃N₄, 10% w GO concentration and applied in dynamic membranes. The characteristics of Ag–ZnO/g-C₃N₄/GO nanocomposite were evaluated by various techniques such as X-ray diffraction, field emission scanning electron microscopy, energy dispersive X-ray map, transmission electron microscopy, X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy, photocatalyst. The photocatalytic degradation of methylene blue was investigated under visible light. The photocatalytic efficiency of 93.43% for methylene blue degradation was obtained for Ag–ZnO/g-C₃N₄/GO nanocomposite after 50 min of irradiation, which was remarkably higher than that of pure ZnO, bare g-C₃N₄, Ag–ZnO, and Ag–ZnO/g-C₃N₄ at the same irradiation time. Likewise, in self-forming and pre-coated membranes, ternary nanocomposites can play a vital role in the membrane surface properties, as well as their decolorization performance. The rejection of methylene blue was 30% in pure polyethersulfone membrane, while the photocatalytic degradation of methylene blue in Ag–ZnO/g-C₃N₄/GO nanocomposites was 88.46% and 98.86% after 10 and 15 min of irradiation in both self-forming and pre-coated dynamic membranes, respectively. Experimental results show that the dynamic membrane possesses a higher ability for degradation of MB in a shorter period of time than the static system.     

分级孔结构g-C3N4光催化剂的制备及性能

以单分散SiO2为模板,通过简单的一步煅烧法制备具有分级孔结构的g-C3N4。与体相g-C3N4相比,分级孔结构的g-C3N4不仅可见光吸收性能和比表面积得到提高,而且更有利于光生电子-空穴的分离。此外,具有分级孔结构的g-C3N4具有明显增强的可见光驱动的光催化产氢活性,当SiO2和二氰二胺质量比为1∶1时,制备所得g-C3N4(C3N4-2)产氢速率几乎是体相g-C3N4的18倍。     

氮缺陷石墨相氮化碳的制备及其光催化降解环境有机污染物性能

通过在三聚氰胺热分解过程中加入NaHCO₃制备出具有氮缺陷的石墨相氮化碳（g-C₃N₄）,利用X射线衍射（XRD）、傅里叶变换红外光谱（FT-IR）、N₂吸附-脱附、X射线光电子能谱（XPS）、紫外-可见漫反射光谱（UV-vis DRS）和固体荧光光谱（PL）等方法对其进行表征,并在可见光（λ> 420nm）照射下,以水相中罗丹明B（RhB）的降解为模型反应,研究了该氮缺陷g-C₃N₄对有机污染物降解的光催化活性。结果表明,引入氮缺陷可以提高g-C₃N₄对可见光的吸收以及电子-空穴对的分离效率,进而提高g-C₃N₄的可见光催化活性。催化剂CNK0.005、CNK0.01和CNK0.05在30min内对RhB的降解率分别为79.8%、100.0%和87.6%;而在相同条件下,没有氮缺陷的g-C₃N₄对RhB的降解率仅为59.8%。     

g-C3N4-BiOBr复合材料制备及可见光催化性能

利用原位沉积法将BiOBr纳米片生长到g-C₃N₄表面,制得g-C₃N₄-BiOBr p-n型异质结复合光催化剂。采用X射线衍射(XRD)、红外光谱(FTIR)、场发射扫描电子显微镜(FE-SEM)、透射电子显微镜(TEM)、紫外可见漫反射(UV-Vis-DRS)和荧光光谱(PL)等测试对光催化剂结构和性能进行表征。通过可见光辐照降解甲基橙水溶液检测评估复合光催化剂光催化活性。研究结果表明:复合光催化剂由BiOBr和g-C₃N₄两相组成,BiOBr纳米片在片状g-C₃N₄表面快速形核生长形成面-面复合结构。相比于纯相g-C₃N₄和BiOBr,g-C₃N₄-BiOBr复合材料具有更强可见光吸收能力,吸收带边红移。在可见光辐照100 min后,性能最佳的2:8 g-C₃N₄-BiOBr复合光催化剂光催化活性分别是纯相g-C₃N₄和BiOBr的1.8和1.2倍,经过4次循环实验后,其降解率仍达84%,说明复合结构光催化剂催化性能和稳定性增强。复合光催化剂的荧光强度显著降低,说明光生载流子复合得到了有效抑制。复合光催化剂催化性能的提高归因于p-n型异质结促进电荷有效分离、抑制电子-空穴复合和吸收光波长范围的扩展,相比单一成分材料具有更好的催化活性和稳定性。自由基捕获实验证明,可见光降解甲基橙光催化过程中的主要活性成分为空穴,并据此提出了可能的光催化机理。     

C/g-C3N4/MoS2复合材料的制备及光催化性能

首先以尿素和葡萄糖为前驱体,通过热缩合方法制备了C/g-C₃N₄,然后利用溶剂热法合成C/g-C₃N₄/MoS₂三元复合材料。通过不同的手段对其进行了表征,结果表明,与C/g-C₃N₄相比,该三元复合材料不仅具有更强的光吸收性能和更大的表面积,而且更有利于电子的转移。同时对其可见光催化降解甲基橙性能进行研究,结果发现,C/g-C₃N₄/MoS₂-2.0%复合材料(含有质量分数为2.0%的MoS₂)表现出最高的反应速率常数(0.0086 min^-1),分别为g-C₃N₄/MoS₂-2.0%(0.0015 min^-1)和C/g-C₃N₄(0.0036min^-1)的5.7倍和2.3倍。     

g-C3N4-BiOBr复合材料制备及可见光催化性能

利用原位沉积法将Bi OBr纳米片生长到g-C_3N_4表面,制得g-C_3N_4-Bi OBr p-n型异质结复合光催化剂。采用X射线衍射(XRD)、红外光谱(FTIR)、场发射扫描电子显微镜(FE-SEM)、透射电子显微镜(TEM)、紫外可见漫反射(UV-Vis-DRS)和荧光光谱(PL)等测试对光催化剂结构和性能进行表征。通过可见光辐照降解甲基橙水溶液检测评估复合光催化剂光催化活性。研究结果表明:复合光催化剂由Bi OBr和g-C_3N_4两相组成,Bi OBr纳米片在片状g-C_3N_4表面快速形核生长形成面-面复合结构。相比于纯相g-C_3N_4和Bi OBr,g-C_3N_4-Bi OBr复合材料具有更强可见光吸收能力,吸收带边红移。在可见光辐照100 min后,性能最佳的2:8 gC_3N_4-Bi OBr复合光催化剂光催化活性分别是纯相g-C_3N_4和Bi OBr的1.8和1.2倍,经过4次循环实验后,其降解率仍达84%,说明复合结构光催化剂催化性能和稳定性增强。复合光催化剂的荧光强度显著降低,说明光生载流子复合得到了有效抑制。复合光催化剂催化性能的提高归因于p-n型异质结促进电荷有效分离、抑制电子-空穴复合和吸收光波长范围的扩展,相比单一成分材料具有更好的催化活性和稳定性。自由基捕获实验证明,可见光降解甲基橙光催化过程中的主要活性成分为空穴,并据此提出了可能的光催化机理。     

Bi2WO6/g-C3N4复合型催化剂的制备及其可见光光催化性能

利用溶剂热法, 把Bi₂WO₆纳米颗粒植入g-C₃N₄层间和表面成功地制备了Bi₂WO₆/g-C₃N₄复合型光催化剂。通过XRD、SEM、TEM、BET和UV-Vis分别对样品的结构、组成、形貌、比表面积、光学性能进行了表征。结果表明, g-C₃N₄层状结构被部分剥离成碎片且与Bi₂WO₆纳米颗粒形成了复合物。Bi₂WO₆/g-C₃N₄复合型光催化剂与单一Bi₂WO₆相比不仅扩展了可见光的响应范围、增大了比表面还加速了光生电子与空穴的分离。结果表明, Bi₂WO₆的最佳负载量为60wt%时, 复合型光催化剂具有最高的可见光催化活性且性能稳定、易回收。     

Microwave-assisted synthesis of the Fe2O3/g-C3N4 nanocomposites with enhanced photocatalytic activity for degradation of methylene blue

The preparation and photocatalytic performance of the Fe₂O₃/g-C₃N₄ nanocomposites with different weight percentage of iron was investigated in this study. Samples were successfully synthesized using melamine and ferric nitrate as the precursors via the green and facile microwave-assisted method. The physicochemical and structural properties of the Fe₂O₃-doped g-C₃N₄ were characterized by X-ray diffraction (XRD), Fourier-transform infrared spectroscopy (FT-IR), the Brunauer–Emmett–Teller (BET) method, transmission electron microscopy (TEM), scanning electron microscopy (SEM), energy-dispersive X-ray spectroscopy (EDS), and ultraviolet–visible spectroscopy (UV–Vis). The photocatalytic activity of the Fe₂O₃/g-C₃N₄ catalysts was evaluated by the degradation of methylene blue (MB) at room temperature under visible light irradiation. As expected, the as-synthesized samples exhibited considerable improvement in the photodegradation of MB. The Fe₂O₃/g-C₃N₄ (1.0 wt%) nanocomposite had superior photocatalytic activity, with almost 70% degradation efficiency within 90 min of irradiation. The enhanced performance was ascribed to the separation and migration of the photoinduced electron–hole pairs and taking part of the charge carriers in the chemical redox reactions at the surface of the photocatalyst. In this work, the effect of Fe weight percentage on the degradation potential was also studied, and the photocatalytic mechanism was proposed with the main reactive species •OH.