One-pot synthesis of isotype heterojunction g-C3N4-MU photocatalyst for effective tetracycline hydrochloride antibiotic and reactive orange 16 dye removal

The one-pot synthesis of g-C₃N₄-MU isotype heterojunction has been produced by the thermal polycondensation method by mixing different ratios of precursors between melamine and urea. The isotype heterojunction g-C₃N₄-MU samples were characterized by X-ray diffraction spectroscopy, scanning electron microscope and energy-dispersive X-ray-spectroscopy, UV–Visible diffuse reflectance spectroscopy, and X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy. The band-gap energy of these photocatalysts reveals that they can work well under visible light. The photocatalytic performance of the samples was investigated over the photodegradation of reactive orange-16 (RO-16) dye and tetracycline hydrochloride (TC-HCl) under visible light irradiation. The isotype heterojunction of g-C₃N₄-M6U10 showed the highest degradation of 95 and 85.6% for RO-16 and TC-HCl, respectively under irradiation time of 100 and 120 min. The major reactive species was identified as O₂^–. Moreover, the reusability of the photocatalyst was investigated up to 3 cycles with good efficiency. The present synthesized isotype heterojunction g-C₃N₄-MU could be applied as a facile pathway for synthesis and as an effective pathway to resolve various environmental problems.     

Integration g-C3N4 nanotubes and Sb2MoO6 nanoparticles: Impressive photoactivity for tetracycline degradation,Cr (VI) reduction,and organic dyes removals under visible light

The development of high-efficiency photocatalysts is an attractive strategy for pollutants degradation under visible light. Herein, novel photocatalysts are reported through coupling Sb₂MoO₆ with g-C₃N₄ nanotube (abbreviated as GCN nanotube) by a simple reflux method. Also, the nanocomposites were defined by applying various analyses. Under visible-light excitation, the GCN nanotube/Sb₂MoO₆ systems had more photoactivity than g-C₃N₄ (abbreviated as GCN) and the rate constant for RhB removal on optimal GCN nanotube/Sb₂MoO₆ (30%) nanocomposite was 48.3 times premier than the GCN. Also, compared to the pristine GCN, the GCN nanotube/Sb₂MoO₆ (30%) sample demonstrated supreme photoactivity towards tetracycline degradation and Cr (VI) photoreduction, which was 88.5 and 21.8 times higher than the bulk GCN, respectively. These impressive enhancements were attributed to the quick segregation of charge carriers, boosted visible-light absorption, and extended specific surface area. Moreover, the photocatalyst has enough activity after four successive cycles. Finally, a conceivable charges transfer route is presented through n-n heterojunction constructed between Sb₂MoO₆ and GCN nanotube.     

High visible light photocatalytic activities obtained by integrating g-C3N4 with ferroelectric PbTiO3

Graphitic carbon nitride (g-C3 N4) with the merits of high visible light absorption,proper electronic band structure with high conduction band edge and variable modulation,is viewed as a promising photocatalyst for practical use.To alleviate its high recombination rate of photo-excited charge carriers and maximize the photocatalytic performances,it is paramount to design highly effective transfer channels for photo-excited charge carriers.Ferroelectric materials can have the charge carriers transport in opposite directions owing to the internal spontaneous polarization,which may be suitable for constructing the heterostructure with g-C3N4 for efficient charge separation.Inspired by this concept,herein ferroelec tric PbTiO3,which can be the visible-light absorber,is coupled with g-C3N4 to construct PbTiO3/g-C3N4 heterostructure with close contact via Pb-N bond by the facile post thermal treatment.The optimized PbTiO3/g-C3N4 heterostructure exhibited excellent photocatalytic and photoelectrochemical activities under visible light irradiation.Moreover,the simultaneous application of ultrasound-induced mechanical waves can further improve its photocatalytic activities through reinforcing the built-in piezoelectric field.This work proposes a widely applicable strategy for the fabrication of high-performance ferroelectric based photocatalysts and also provides some new ideas for developing the understanding of ferroelectric photocatalysis.     

A novel poly(triazine imide) hollow tube/ZnO heterojunction for tetracycline hydrochloride degradation under visible light irradiation

A novel poly(triazine imide) hollow tube (PTI)/ZnO heterojunction was prepared by a molten salts method. The photocatalyst was characterized by X-ray diffraction (XRD), scanning electron microscopy (SEM), transmission electron microscopy (TEM), UV–vis diffuse reflectance spectroscopy (DRS) and photoluminescence (PL) spectroscopy, respectively. The results showed the ZnO nanoparticles were successfully coupled into the PTI hollow tube to form PTI/ZnO heterojunction. The degradation of tetracycline hydrochloride (TC) under visible light irradiation was used to evaluate the activity of photocatalyst. The PTI/ZnO-6?wt% heterojunction exhibits the highest photocatalytic activity, which can degrade almost all TC within 90?min. The kinetic constant of degradation reaction with PTI/ZnO-6?wt% heterojunction (0.034?min^?1) is about 5 times as high as that of the PTI (0.0070?min^?1). A possible photocatalytic mechanism for heterojunction according to the energy-band theory was proposed.     

Relationship of structure and enhanced photocatalytic activity of S-scheme BiOCl/g-C3N4 heterojunction for xanthate removal under visible light

Constructing heterojunctions is an excellent way to enhance the photocatalytic property of semiconductors. Herein, a range of S-scheme BiOCl/g-C₃N₄ heterojunctions with varying mass ratios were designed using a facile hydrothermal route, and their photocatalytic ability was assessed by degrading the ethyl xanthate (EX) under visible light (λ > 400 nm). The results showed that the degradation efficiency of BiOCl/g-C₃N₄-0.1 heterojunction for EX was up to 91.2 % within 180 min, and its apparent rate constants (K_app) were 4.3 and 11 times greater than those of BiOCl and g-C₃N₄, respectively. The experimental and characterization results revealed that the excellent photocatalytic property was ascribed to the construction of S-scheme heterojunctions. Such structure not only enhanced the visible light response but also facilitated the efficient separation of photoinduced carriers with the S-scheme transfer route, retaining strong redox-capable holes and electrons to participate in surface reactions. Furthermore, the cycling experiments indicated that the fabricated photocatalysts have great recyclability and stability. Based on the results of active substance capture, the S-scheme charge transfer model was proposed and the photodegradation mechanism of EX was reasonably elucidated. Overall, this work offers some theoretical direction for the design and construction of S-scheme heterojunctions with superior visible-light-driven photocatalytic performance.     

Ternary MIL-100(Fe)@Fe3O4/CA magnetic nanophotocatalysts (MNPCs): Magnetically separable and Fenton-like degradation of tetracycline hydrochloride

Today’s world, tetracycline hydrochloride (TC) is considered as a Compounds of Emerging Concern (CECs). Metal-organic frameworks MOFs with a microporous structure and holding larger pores indicating potential applications in the fields of environmental purification. Recently, carbon aerogel (CA) has also aroused great interest due to its larger specific surface area, low density, thermal stability, and non-toxicity. Herein, MIL-100(Fe) was synthesized under low temperature and combined with Fe₃O₄ and CA, respectively. The obtained MIL-100(Fe), MIL-100(Fe)@Fe₃O₄, MIL-100(Fe)@CA and MIL-100(Fe)@Fe₃O₄/CA were investigated as a photocatalyst for removal of TC from the water. The results indicated that the MIL-100(Fe)@Fe₃O₄/CA degrade TC up to 85%, which is much higher than MIL-100(Fe)@Fe₃O₄ (c.a. 42%), due to its high surface area 389?m²?g^?1, smaller pore size and pore volume 2.4?nm and 0.319?m³?g^?1, high separation of electron and hole, and lower band gap of 1.76?eV. The coupling of CA with MIL-100(Fe)@Fe₃O₄ considerably accelerate the transfer of photo-generated charge carriers and enhanced 1.6 times the performance of MIL-100(Fe)@Fe₃O₄. Furthermore, the stability and recyclability were enhanced due to the addition of Fe₃O₄, facilitating the environmentally friendly water purification processes.     

Novel application of g-C3N4/NaNbO3 composite for photocatalytic selective oxidation of biomass-derived HMF to FFCA under visible light irradiation

The g-C₃N₄/NaNbO₃ photocatalyst was synthesized by simply calcining the mixture of NaNbO₃ and melamine. The synthesized composite exhibits high photocatalytic performance in the selective oxidation of 5-Hydroxymethylfurfural (HMF) to 5-formyl-2-furancarboxylic acid (FFCA) when using water as solvent. The structure and composition of g-C₃N₄/NaNbO₃ photocatalysts were characterized by TG, XRD, SEM, UV–Vis, FT-IR, and XPS methods, and the optical and electrochemical properties were investigated by EIS, PC, and PL techniques. O₂⁻ was inferred to be the primary active species in this process based on the active species trapping experiment. Heterostructure formation of g-C₃N₄/NaNbO₃ composites efficiently promoted the separation of photo-generated electron-hole pairs and accelerated the electron transfer rate, thus reduced the formation of OH, and sequentially improved the selectivity of FFCA. The highest HMF conversion of 35.8% with FFCA selectivity of 87.4% was achieved on C/N-59.6 photocatalyst under the irradiation of visible light. The possible mechanism and reaction route were also proposed.     

Preparation of visible light responsive g-C3N4/H-TiO2 Z-scheme heterojunction with enhanced photocatalytic activity for RhB degradation

The development of high-efficiency heterojunction with improved photocatalytic property is regarded as a promising way to decontaminate wastewater. In this study, Z-Scheme g-C₃N₄/H-TiO₂ heterojunctions with different proportions were synthesized. The photocatalytic degradation of rhodamine B (RhB) was studied under visible light irradiation. Among them, 10% g-C₃N₄/H-TiO₂ photocatalyst had the best performance, and the degradation rate of RhB was 65% within 120 min. In addition, 10% g-C₃N₄/H-TiO₂ photocatalyst had high stability, and its photocatalytic activity did not decrease significantly after four cycles. Through photocurrent analysis, it is found that the photogenerated carriers have obviously excellent separation and transfer characteristics, which makes the 10% g-C₃N₄/H-TiO₂ photocatalyst have good degradation performance. Electron paramagnetic resonance (ESR) experiments showed that ·OH and ·O₂^? were active radicals during degradation.

     

Preparation of S- scheme heterojunction Bi28O32 (SO4)10/NiAl LDH for efficient photocatalytic degradation of tetracycline

At present, the construction of high-efficiency photocatalytic degradation system of antibiotic pollutants has become a research hotspot. In this paper, Bi₂₈O₃₂(SO₄)₁₀/NiAl LDH photocatalyst with three-dimensional spherical morphology was successfully prepared by hydrothermal method followed by calcination, thus applying to the degradation of tetracycline. The characterization and photochemical analysis of the resulted material were used to determine the type of formed heterojunction. Bi₂₈O₃₂(SO₄)₁₀ and NiAl LDH build a close contact interface. The matching band gap structure makes S-scheme heterojunction formed between the two single component. Benefited from this structure, the Bi₂₈O₃₂(SO₄)₁₀/NiAl LDH composite with the mass ratio of 1:1 exhibited 95% efficiency in degradation of tetracycline after irradiation for 120 min, and it is stable, reusable and universal. The apparent rate constant of TC degradation by heterojunction catalyst is greatly increased, which is 5.35 and 4.91 times that of Bi₂₈O₃₂(SO₄)₁₀ and NiAl LDH. Overall, this paper provides a way of thinking for the design of new bismuth based photocatalytic materials, and thus providing a reference for the rational design of S-scheme heterojunction.     

Fabrication of highly efficient g-C3N4/ZnO/Fe2O3 ternary composite with enhanced photocatalytic activity under visible light irradiation

Journal of Materials Science: Materials in Electronics - The development of an efficient and photostable heterostructured photocatalyst has attracted a great deal of attention for the degradation...     

Constructing CdSe QDs modified porous g-C3N4 heterostructures for visible light photocatalytic hydrogen production

Constructing heterostructures with narrow-band-gap semiconductors is a promising strategy to extend light absorption range of graphitic carbon nitride (g-C3N4) and simultaneously promote charge separa-tion for its photocatalytic activity improvement.However,its highly localized electronic states of g-C3N4 hinder photo-carrier migration through bulk towards heterostructure interfaces,resulting in low charge carrier separation effidency of solid bulk g-C3N4-based heterostructures.Herein,porous g-C3N4 (PCN)material with greatly shortened migration distance of photo-carriers from bulk to surface was used as an effective substrate to host CdSe quantum dots to construct type Ⅱ heterostructure of CdSe/PCN for pho-tocatalytic hydrogen production.The homogeneous modification of the CdSe quantum dots throughout the whole bulk of PCN together with proper band alignments between CdSe and PCN enables the ef-fective separation of photo-generated charge carriers in the heterostructure.Consequently,the CdSe/PCN heterostructure photocatalyst gives the greatly enhanced photocatalytic hydrogen production activity of 192.3 μmol h-1,which is 4.4 and 8.1 times that of CdSe andPCN,respectively.This work provides a fea-sible strategy to construct carbon nitride-based heterostructure photocatalysts for boosting visible light driven water splitting performance.     

Nanoarchitectonics of Ag-modified g-C3N4@halloysite nanotubes by a green method for enhanced photocatalytic efficiency

In this study, a facile and cost effective green synthesis has been utilized for the synthesis of silver nanoparticles (Ag-NPs)–modified graphitic carbon nitride (Ag-g-C₃N₄) and halloysite nanotubes (HNTs) using Centella Asiatica (L.) extract, urea and mineral source of natural halloysite (HNTs), respectively. Here, silver ions (Ag⁺) were reduced to Ag-NPs using an aqueous Centella Asiatica (L.) as reducing and capping agent. The synthesized Ag-g-C₃N₄@HNTs were characterized by various physiochemical methods such as XRD, FT-IR, BET, SEM, TEM, EDS–mapping, UV–vis-DRS, PL, XPS and EPR methods. In the photocatalytic experiment, Ag-g-C₃N₄@HNTs nanocomposite with silver surface plasmon resonance of Ag-NPs and multi-layer hollow nanotubes was outperformed by the individual components. With an in-depth study on the photocatalytic mechanisms, we can conclude that the enhanced performance of the nanocomposite is due to the effective separation of photogenerated electrons and superoxide radicals (^?O₂^–) in water molecules. The photocatalyst preserved excellent photostability for up to four cycles (with a minor activity reduction from 95% to 91%). These results demonstrated the development of novel semiconductors from inexpensive resources with effective photoactivity to mitigate environmental problems.     

Facile synthesis of nano-TiO2/stellerite composite with efficient photocatalytic degradation of phenol

In this paper, we report a kind of nano-TiO₂/stellerite composite with enhanced photoactivity, which was synthesized by a typical homogeneous precipitation method followed by a calcination crystallization process using natural stellerite as support. The as-prepared composites were characterized via X-ray diffraction (XRD), scanning electron microscopy (SEM), nitrogen adsorption-desorption, high resolution transmission electron microscopy (HRTEM) and X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy (XPS). The results showed that TiO₂ loading amounts and calcination temperatures had significant influence on the adsorption and photocatalytic degradation properties of phenol. Moreover, it was indicated that the TiO₂ nanoparticles (NPs) with smaller grain size (around 12.0?nm) and narrower size distributions were uniformly deposited on the surface of stellerite as a layer of film. Compared with commercial P25, the received composite exhibited more superior photocatalytic degradation performance towards phenol. The enhanced photocatalytic degradation performance should result from the better dispersibility of TiO₂ NPs and higher separation efficiency of photogenerated electron-hole pairs. This work may set foundation for the practical application of this new composite photocatalyst in the field of wastewater treatment.     

Construction of hybrid g-C3N4/CdO nanocomposite with improved photodegradation activity of RhB dye under visible light irradiation

The hybrid graphitic carbon nitride-cadmium oxide (g-C₃N₄/CdO) nanocomposite was fabricated using chemical precipitation and self-assembly method. The photocatalysts were characterised by XRD, XPS, FTIR, BET, TEM, FESEM, UV-Vis and PL spectroscopy. Based on the optical study, visible light harvesting was improved and the band gap of bulk g-C₃N₄ to hybrid g-C₃N₄/CdO nanocomposite was greatly reduced from 2.72 eV to 2.35 eV, signifying a better charge carrier mobility. The photocatalytic activity were further assessed by conducting rhodamine B (RhB) photodegradation reaction using visible light. An excellent dye removal efficiency of 96% was achieved when 1.5 g/L of hybrid g-C₃N₄/CdO nanocomposite was used with an initial concentration of 10 ppm for 120 min whereas only 66% of RhB was removed by bulk g-C₃N₄ within the same operating conditions. Besides, reusability tests were carried out and evidenced that hybrid g-C₃N₄/CdO nanocomposite can be recycled up to four times by retaining the degradation efficiency. The scavenging studies confirmed that the RhB photodegradation using hybrid g-C₃N₄/CdO nanocomposite was controlled by valance band h⁺ and O²⁻ oxidation reactions. Conclusively, the inclusion of CdO onto g-C₃N₄ resulted in remarkable photocatalytic activity for dye degradation applications.     

Facile synthesis,characterization of a MnFe2O4/activated carbon magnetic composite and its effectiveness in tetracycline removal

In this study, MnFe₂O₄/activated carbon magnetic composites with mass ratio of 1:1, 1:1.5 and 1:2 were synthesized using a simple chemical coprecipitation procedure. A variety of techniques such as X-ray diffractometer, scanning electron microscope, magnetization measurements, BET surface area measurements were used to characterize the structure, morphology and magnetic performance of the prepared composite adsorbents. The results showed that the composites had good magnetic properties, which allowed their convenient magnetic separation from water. Spinel manganese ferrite was found to occur in the magnetic phase and the presence of magnetic particles of MnFe₂O₄ did not significantly affect the surface area and pore structure of the activated carbon. The magnetic composites were effective for tetracycline (TC) removal from water and the maximal adsorption capacity was 590.5 mmol kg⁻¹ at pH 5.0. The TC adsorption followed pseudo-second-order kinetic model and its removal decreases gradually with an increase in pH value, whereas the removal rate was over 60% even at pH 9.0. The TC adsorption process is endothermic and the increase of temperature is favoring its removal. All these results indicated that the prepared composites had the potential to be used as adsorbents for the removal of TC from water or wastewater.     

Photocatalytic activity of vanadium-doped titania-activated carbon composite film under visible light

A V-doped titania-activated carbon composite film was prepared by a modified sol-gel method under mild condition. X-ray diffraction analysis revealed that the titania was a pure anatase phase. From scanning electron microscopy and N₂ adsorption-desorption measurements, we found that the composite film was porous since it formed a micro-nano structure. The photocatalytic activity of such film was evaluated through degradation of azo-dye Reactive Brilliant Red under visible light, and was compared to commercially available TiO₂, pure titania and vanadium-doped titania films. Results showed that the photocatalytic activity was enhanced a lot. It was due to expansion of the absorption edge by vanadium doping, and the synergistic effect of activated carbon with titania. Furthermore, the hydrophilic property of the as-prepared composite film was superior to other samples.     

g-C3N4 quantum dot decorated MoS2/Fe3O4 as a novel recoverable catalyst for photodegradation of organic pollutant under visible light

In this research, zero-dimensional (quantum dots) of graphitic carbon nitride (g-C₃N₄) and Fe₃O₄ nanoparticles were decorated on MoS₂ nanosheets to prepare MoS₂/Fe₃O₄/g-C₃N₄ quantum dots. Photocatalytic activities of newly synthesized nanocatalyst were investigated by the degradation of methylene blue (MB) and methyl orange (MO) under visible LED lamp light. In these degradation reactions, the parameters effective such as dyes concentration, pH, amount of catalyst, and irradiation time were also investigated. The systematic investigations revealed that 10 mg of MoS₂/Fe₃O₄/g-C₃N₄QDs catalyst was optimum to degrade 10 mg/L of MB and 40 mg of nanocatalyst to degrade 10 mg/L of MO with 60 W of LED irradiation. Nanocomposite can act as an excellent photocatalyst for degradation of MB and MO at short time intervals and also can be easily separated by an external magnet and reused several times. The kinetic data acquired for the degradation of dyes were matched to first-order rate equations, and also the apparent rate constants for the degradation of MB and MO were calculated as follows: K?=?0.285 min^?1 and K?=?0.263 min^?1, respectively. The novelty of catalyst is due to metal (Mo) and non-metal (S) in the structure of substrate (MoS₂), so Fe₃O₄ and g-C₃N₄ QDs can be strongly connected to the substrate. The structure and morphology of prepared nanocomposite were characterized by X-ray diffraction (XRD), vibrating sample magnetometer (VSM), transmission electron microscopy (TEM), scanning electron microscopy (SEM) energy dispersive X-ray spectroscopy (EDS), and UV–Vis spectroscopy.

     

Facile hydrothermal synthesis and characterization of LaFeO3 nanospheres for visible light photocatalytic applications

LaFeO₃ nanospheres were synthesized by hydrothermal method followed by calcination. Citric acid was found to be key factor to the purity and the surface morphology of the LaFeO₃ nanospheres. The obtained nanospheres have been structurally characterized by XRD which confirms the single crystalline orthorhombic structure. The structural information of the nanosphere was also confirmed from the Raman spectrum. HRSEM and AFM revealed that the prepared sample has been composed of spherical like morphology with an average size of about 45 nm. From XPS analysis, the chemical state of the LaFeO₃ nanospheres was confirmed. Magnetic measurement indicates the products shows weak magnetic behaviour. The UV–Vis spectroscopy analysis shows strong absorption at 466 nm which confirms that the obtained material has excellent visible light absorption ability. Furthermore, the photocatalytic experiment demonstrates that the prepared LaFeO₃ nanospheres exhibit well and stable photocatalytic activity for decomposition of methyl orange under visible-light irradiation.