Preparation of Z-scheme Au-Ag2S/Bi2O3 composite by selective deposition method and its improved photocatalytic degradation and reduction activity

In this work, Z-scheme Ag₂S/Bi₂O₃ composites were fabricated through the precipitation of Ag₂S nanoplates on the surface of Bi₂O₃ microrods. Consequently, Au nanoparticles were selectively deposited on the Ag₂S nanoplates surface to obtain.Au-Ag₂S/Bi₂O₃ composites using near-infrared light photodeposition method. The characterization results indicate that the Ag₂S nanoplates were uniformly anchored on Bi₂O₃ surface, and Au nanoparticles were highly dispersed on the surface of Ag₂S nanoplate instead of Bi₂O₃. Acid orange 7 (AO7), Rhodamine B (RhB) and Cr(VI) were chosen as model reactant for the evaluation of photocatalytic degradation and reduction activity of the products under simulated sunlight irradiation. After the decoration of Ag₂S nanoplates, the photocatalytic activity of Ag₂S/Bi₂O₃ is much higher than that of bare Bi₂O₃, and the optimal catalytic efficiency is achieved by 12 %Ag₂S/Bi₂O₃ sample. More importantly, the photocatalytic activity of 12 %Ag₂S/Bi₂O₃ sample can be further enhanced by the selective decoration Au nanoparticles on the Ag₂S nanoplates. Among the ternary composites, 2Au-12 %Ag₂S/Bi₂O₃ sample with the Au content of 2% exhibits highest catalytic efficiency for 60 min (AO7: 96%; RhB: 56%; Cr(VI): 65%). The possible mechanism for the improvement of the photocatalytic activity of Bi₂O₃ by Ag₂S and Au decoration was proposed.     

Photocatalytic performance of oxygen vacancy rich-TiO2 combined with Bi4O5Br2 nanoparticles on degradation of several water pollutants

Despite significant advancements in the improvement of heterogeneous photocatalysis towards water treatment, these processes still have some bottlenecks. In this research paper, oxygen vacancy rich-TiO₂ was combined with Bi₄O₅Br₂ nanoparticles (denoted as TiO₂-OVs/Bi₄O₅Br₂) by eco-friendly hydrothermal approach. The outcomes demonstrated that the photoactivity strongly depends on plenteous active sites, reinforced charge segregation, as well as striking visible-light absorption ability in TiO₂-OVs/Bi₄O₅Br₂ nanocomposite with n-n heterojunction. The photoactivity was found to follow the trend: TiO₂-OVs/Bi₄O₅Br₂ (30%) > TiO₂-OVs > TiO₂. Briefly, the removal efficiencies of RhB, MB, and fuchsine were 100%, 96.2%, and 84.7% using TiO₂-OVs/Bi₄O₅Br₂ (30%) in 120 min, while they were 25.1%, 20.0%, and 15.3% over the TiO₂, respectively. Further, the boosted rate constant was observed for the photoreduction of Cr (VI) on the TiO₂-OVs/Bi₄O₅Br₂ (30%) nanocomposite, which was 19.4 and 7.8-folds more than the TiO₂ and TiO₂-OVs photocatalysts, respectively. The radical scavenging tests with different quenchers demonstrated that holes and superoxide anion radicals take part in the degradation reaction. Finally, by investigating the electrochemical properties, a mechanism was offered to describe the improved e^–/h⁺ pairs separation and migration. This research displayed that the design of n-n heterojunction using TiO₂-OVs could be suitable for severely improving photocatalytic performance of TiO₂ under visible light.     

An excellent Z-scheme Ag2MoO4/Bi4Ti3O12 heterojunction photocatalyst: Construction strategy and application in environmental purification

Herein we have designed an excellent type of Z-scheme Ag₂MoO₄/Bi₄Ti₃O₁₂ (AMO/BTO) heterojunction photocatalysts by immobilizing AMO particles onto rod-like BTO hierarchical architectures. The formation of Z-scheme AMO/BTO heterostructures was verified by various characterization techniques including XRD, UV–vis DR spectroscopy, SEM, TEM, XPS and FTIR spectroscopy. PL spectroscopy, photocurrent response and EIS analyses suggest that the creation of AMO/BTO heterojunctions is conducive to the efficient separation of photoexcited electron-hole pairs. The photocatalytic performances of the AMO/BTO composites were investigated by simulated-sunlight driving photodegradation of methylene blue (MB), tetrabromobisphenol A (TBBPA), tetracycline hydrochloride (TC), phenol and methyl orange (MO)/rhodamine B (RhB)/MB mixture solutions. It is demonstrated that the AMO/BTO heterojunction photocatalysts are endowed with excellent photodegradation performances much higher than that of bare AMO and BTO. For example, the photodegradation rate of MB by using 30 wt%AMO/BTO — confirmed to be the optimal composite sample — is about 17.0 and 14.7 times as high as that by using bare BTO and AMO, respectively. A Z-scheme electron transfer mechanism was proposed to elucidate the enhanced photodegradation performances of the AMO/BTO heterojunction photocatalysts.     

Synthesis of dual Z-scheme photocatalyst ZnFe2O4/PANI/Ag2CO3 with enhanced visible light photocatalytic activity and degradation of pollutants

The ZnFe₂O₄/PANI/Ag₂CO₃ photocatalyst was synthesized by the co-precipitation method. The composition, morphology and optical properties of the synthesized photocatalyst were characterized. Compared with pure Ag₂CO₃, ZnFe₂O₄, PANI/Ag₂CO₃ and ZnFe₂O₄/Ag₂CO₃, ZnFe₂O₄/PANI/Ag₂CO₃ has the best photocatalytic ability of bisphenol A can reach 86.36% under 40 min of light, and it has a certain ability to be reused. At the same time, after 1 h of light, the degradation rate of Nitrobenzene can reach 90%. The reason for the increased catalytic ability of ZnFe₂O₄/PANI/Ag₂CO₃ can be attributed to the extended absorption capacity of the visible light region and the efficient separation of electron-hole pairs.     

A novel Z-scheme CeO2/g-C3N4 heterojunction photocatalyst for degradation of Bisphenol A and hydrogen evolution and insight of the photocatalysis mechanism

CeO2/g-C3N4 heterojunction photocatalyst had been successfully fabricated through a one-step in-situ pyrolysis formation of 3D hollow CeO2 mesoporous nanospheres and 2D g-C3N4 nanosheets together with simultaneous removal of carbon sphere templates after heat treatment.The sample shows high catalytic performances for photocatalytic hydrogen generation and photocatalytic oxidation of Bisphe-nol A(BPA)under visible light irradiation,and the catalytic degradation route of BPA was suggested by the degradation products determined by GC-MS.The enhancing catalytic activity was attributed to the effective interfacial charge migration and separation.Finally,it was proposed that the CeO2/g-C3N4 het-erojunction photocatalyst could follow a more appropriate Z-scheme charge transfer mechanism,which was confirmed by the analysis of experiment and theoretical calculation results.     

Hierarchical Bi2S3 nanoflowers: A novel photocatalyst for enhanced photocatalytic degradation of binary mixture of Rhodamine B and Methylene blue dyes and degradation of mixture of p-nitrophenol and p-chlorophenol

Hierarchical nanostructures of bismuth sulfide (Bi₂S₃) have been synthesized by a facile hydrothermal method. The potentiality of Bi₂S₃ hierarchical nanostructures for the photocatalytic degradation of Rhodamine B (RhB), Methylene blue (MB) and the mixture of RhB-MB organic dyes have been demonstrated and compared with commercial TiO₂ (Degussa P25) sample under visible light illumination. The degradation efficiency of Bi₂S₃ and Degussa P25 is found to be higher in the single as well as in the binary dye solution for MB degradation as compared to RhB degradation. Furthermore, the degradation rate of RhB and MB is enhanced by ～8 times and ～3 times in their binary solution as compared to that in single dye solution. Whereas, Bi₂S₃ has demonstrated ～14 times higher degradation rate of both RhB and MB in their binary solution than that of Degussa P25 for RhB and MB degradation in the binary solution under visible light exposure, respectively. Interestingly, Bi₂S₃ nanostructures has exhibited larger improvement in the degradation efficiency for RhB in its binary solution which is attributed to the faster separation of photogenerated charge carriers due to the proper alignments between the molecular orbits of dyes and band level positions of Bi₂S₃ in RhB-MB-Bi₂S₃ heterogenous system. The photocatalytic degradation study of colourless contaminants, p-chlorophenol (CP), p-nitrophenol (NP) and their mixture (CP-NP) is also investigated in the presence of Bi₂S₃ nanoflowers. Among the phenolic compounds, the degradation rate of NP is observed to be highest in the single solution. However, the degradation rate of both CP and NP is found to decrease in binary mixture solution in comparison to their individual solution. A possible mechanism for the enhanced photodegradation of RhB-MB dye mixture based on the active species trapping experiment has been proposed.     

All-solid-state Z-scheme plasmonic Si@Au nanoparticles on CuBi2O4/BiVO4 for efficient photocatalytic activity

Development of plasmon-mediated catalysis emerged as an attractive alternative to propel chemical reactions. Novel plasmonic material in the form of Si@Au as core@shell nanostructure was experimentally synthesized with good colloidal stability. The Si@Au showed broad tunable light absorption spectra which benefits an effective light harvesting. The observed gold nanoparticles have narrow particle size distribution of 5 nm with lattice fringe of 1.23 Å corresponding to {3 1 1} gold lattice spacing. Whereas the silicon nanoparticles emitted photoluminescence under ultraviolet light irradiation, indicating successful alteration towards direct bandgap by quantum confinement effect in zero-dimensional structure. The Si@Au nanostructures were confirmed using high-resolution transmission electron microscopy and selected area electron diffraction, with the obtained localized surface plasmon resonance spectrum conformed to the simulated pattern corresponding to core@shell structure with a 5 nm-thin-shell Au layer. The vanishing photoluminescence in Si@Au nanostructure suggested suppression of the charge recombination, meaning that photogenerated charge carrier could be preferably used for photocatalytic reactions. The presence of novel Si@Au did not only show broad absorption spectra which is useful for effective light harvesting, but also acted as solid-state mediator driving the photocarrier transfer mode into Z-scheme system. As the result, an enhanced phenol degradation can be achieved, as indicated by 95% phenol degradation under visible light irradiation within 3 h.     

The carboxylate magnetic – Zinc based metal-organic framework heterojunction: Fe3O4-COOH@ZIF-8/Ag/Ag3PO4 for plasmon enhanced visible light Z-scheme photocatalysis

In this work, magnetic nanoparticles (MNPs) grafted with carboxylic acid (Fe₃O₄-COOH MNPs) were successfully prepared from incorporation of glutaric anhydride as a functional group on the surface of the ferrite NPs. The MNP was used as a template to induce the growth of ZIF-8 metal–organic framework (MOF) on its surface. The Fe₃O₄-COOH@ZIF-8 core-shell was incorporated with silver phosphate (Ag₃PO₄) and Ag nanoparticles (Ag NPs) to develop a visible light active Fe₃O₄-COOH@ZIF-8/Ag/Ag₃PO₄ photocatalyst. The materials were characterized using a range of techniques. The photocatalytic activity was investigated systematically by degrading an organo-phosphorus pesticide, diazinon under visible light irradiation. Among synthesized samples, the Fe₃O₄-COOH@ZIF-8/Ag/Ag₃PO₄ heterostructured system exhibited highest photocatalytic activity and improved stability compared to others for the degradation of diazinon under visible light. The superior activity and improved stability of this heterostructured photocatalyst was attributed to the synergistic effects from surface plasmon resonance (SPR) of Ag NPs and sequential energy transfer via Z-scheme mechanism, for effective separation of electron-hole pairs. Radical-trapping experiments demonstrate that holes (h⁺) and O₂⁻ are primary reactive species involved in photocatalytic oxidation process. Moreover, the Fe₃O₄-COOH@ZIF-8/Ag/Ag₃PO₄ photocatalyst did not show any obvious loss of photocatalytic activity during five cycle tests, which indicate that the heterostructured photocatalyst was highly stable and can be used repeatedly. Therefore, the work provides new insights into the design and fabrication of metal-organic frameworks (MOFs) for use as a visible light photocatalyst for degrading organic contaminants.     

Enhancing solar photocatalytic activity of Bi5O7I photocatalyst with activated carbon heterojunction

Passive solar photocatalysis is one of the most efficient ways for the treatment of dye industry wastewater. Some dyes such as methyl orange are recalcitrant to photolysis; therefore, photocatalysts are used to expedite their degradation. Photocatalysts are semiconductors, and their activity can be improved by creating heterojunctions. In the current work, an active photocatalyst, Bi₅O₇I_, was modified with activated carbon (AC), obtained by controlled carbonization of pistachio shells, to give xAC-Bi₅O₇I photocatalysts. AC loading improved the surface area of the catalyst and decreased its bandgap to 1.8 eV, making it suitable for use as a visible light photocatalyst. Activated carbon enhances adsorption, while Bi₅O₇I scavenges adsorbed molecules increasing the efficiency. 5AC-Bi₅O₇I catalyst containing 5% activated carbon displayed the optimum photocatalytic activity, which was 3.4-fold higher than that of pristine Bi₅O₇I. 5AC-Bi₅O₇I achieved 99.9 % reduction in the concentration of methyl orange in 80 min under sunlight irradiation. 5% AC-Bi₅O₇I is more efficient than commercial Degussa P25 photocatalyst as well. The methyl orange degradation efficiency of the catalysts studied was: 5AC-Bi₅O₇I > Bi₅O₇I > Degussa P25.     

Constructing BiOBr/g-C3N4/Bi2O2CO3 Z-scheme photocatalyst with enhanced photocatalytic activity

Journal of Materials Science: Materials in Electronics - In this work, the novel camellia-structured double Z-scheme BiOBr/g-C3N4/Bi2O2CO3 was simply prepared by a hydrothermal method. XRD, FTIR,...     

High efficiency visible-light-driven Fe2O3-xSx/S-doped g-C3N4 heterojunction photocatalysts: Direct Z-scheme mechanism

Several nanoporous Fe_2 O_3-xSx/S-doped g-C_3 N_4(CNS) Z-scheme hybrid heterojuctions have been successfully synthesized by one-pot in situ growth of the Fe_2O_3-xSx particles on the surface of CNS. The characterization results show that S-doping in the g-C3 N4 backbone can greatly enhance the charge mobility and visible light harvesting capability. In addition, porous morphology of hybrid composite provides available open pores for guest molecules and also improves light absorbing property due to existence of multiple scattering effects. More importantly, the Fe_2 O_3-xSx nanoparticles formed intimate heterojunction with CNS and developed the efficient charge transfer by extending interfacial interactions occurred at the interfaces of both components. It has been found that the Fe_2 O_3-xSx/CNS composites have an enhanced photocatalytic activity under visible light irradiation compared with isolated Fe_2 O_3 and CNS components toward the photocatalytic degradation of methylene blue(MB). The optimal loaded Fe_2 O_3-xSx value obtained is equal to 6.6 wt% that provided 82% MB photodegradation after 150 min with a reaction rate constant of 0.0092 min~(-1) which was faster than those of the pure Fe_2 O_3(0.0016 min~(-1))and CNS(0.0044 min~(-1)) under the optimized operating variables acquired by the response surface methodology. The specific surface area and the pore volume of Fe_2 O_3(6.6)/CNS hybrid are 33.5 m~2/g and0.195 cm~3/g, which are nearly 3.8 and 7.5 times greater compared with those of the CNS, respectively. The TEM image of Fe_2 O_3(6.6)/CNS nanocomposite exhibits a nanoporous morphology with abundant uniform pore sizes of around 25 nm. Using the Mott-Schottky plot, the conduction and valence bands of the CNS are measured(at pH = 7) equal to-1.07 and 1.48 V versus normal hydrogen electrode(NHE), respectively.Trapping tests prove that ·OH-and ·O_2-radicals are major active species in the photocatalytic reaction.It has been established that formation of the Z-scheme Fe_2 O_3(6.6)/CNS heterojunction between CNS and Fe_2 O_3 directly produces ·OH as well as ·O_2-radicals which is consistent with the results obtained from trapping experiments.     

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.     

Magnetic separation and adsorptive performance for methylene blue of mesoporous NiFe2O4/SBA-15 nanocomposites

Magnetic NiFe₂O₄/SBA-15 nanocomposites were synthesized by a facile impregnation method, and NiFe₂O₄ nanoparticles presented spinel phase structure and existed in the mesopores of SBA-15. Partial mesopores were blocked by NiFe₂O₄ nanoparticles and micropores formed, which the capillarity of micropores played a decisive role for methylene blue (MB) adsorption. The saturation magnetization increased from 2.34 emu g^?1 to 10.03 emu g^?1 with the NiFe₂O₄ content, while the specific surface area decreased from 552.18 m² g^?1 to 260.40 m² g^?1 and pore volume decreased from 1.13 cm³ g^?1 to 0.49 cm³ g^?1. MB adsorption could be improved by optimizing the NiFe₂O₄ content of the nanocomposites. MB could be adsorbed completely in 60 min with the optimum nanocomposites and could be separated easily from water by magnetic separation technique.     

A cost-effective approach to synthesize NiFe2O4/MXene heterostructures for enhanced photodegradation performance and anti-bacterial activity

A cost-effective ultrasonication approach was employed to synthesize NiFe₂O₄/MXene heterostructures. The as-synthesized heterostructures demonstrated outstanding photodegradation performance and anti-bacterial activity as compared to individual NiFe₂O₄ (NiFe) or MXene. The NiFe nanoparticles (NPs) helped in effectively preventing the re-stacking of MXene flakes and in increasing the surface area of the heterostructure. The obtained sheet-sheet linkage provided an admirable opportunity for excellent wastewater treatment and antibacterial activity. The photocatalytic degradation of organic pollutants by the introduced photocatalyst NiFe/MXene heterostructures has been observed to be about 4 and 6.72 times boosted compared to MXene and NiFe, respectively. Furthermore, the heterostructure materials demonstrated outstanding anti-bacterial activity against gram negative E-coli bacteria, while the mechanism of methylene blue dye degradation by NiFe/MXene was clarified through kinetic studies of the degradation process. We hope this work will be considered a significant scientific contribution for young researchers dealing with water desalination.     

Graphitic-C3N4/ZnCr-layered double hydroxide 2D/2D nanosheet heterojunction: Mesoporous photocatalyst for advanced oxidation of azo dyes with in situ produced H2O2

In this study the constructional modification of Graphitic carbon nitride nanosheet (GCN-ns) has been made with the aid of ZnCr layered double hydroxide (ZC-LDH) in a unique 2D-2D structure to enhance its visible light absorption. Optical and morphological study presents successful incorporation of ZC-LDH on the surface of GCN-ns. Through adjusting of GCN-ns by ZC-LDH lower recombination rate of e^?/h⁺ pairs, longer lifetimes and an increase in contamination reduction was brought out. The binary nanocomposite was employed to effectively degrade Rhodamine B under UV/vis light irradiation. The improvement in photocatalytic abilities was proven to be related to in situ self-production of H₂O₂ on GCN-ns/ZC-LDH surface by Xe light irradiation which in return accounts for additional hydroxide radical generation. Radical quenching experiments specified the main active species involved while the consequent step-scheme (S-scheme) charge transfer mechanism was proposed.     

Construction of hierarchical FeIn2S4/BiOBr S-scheme heterojunction with enhanced visible-light photocatalytic performance for antibiotics degradation

Constructing heterojunction provides a promising tactic to improve the photocatalytic efficiency of catalysts. In this paper, hierarchical FeIn₂S₄/BiOBr heterostructure photocatalysts were prepared by facile two step methods and applied to effectively remove ciprofloxacin (CIP) and tetracycline (TC) under visible light. Compared to single catalyst, FeIn₂S₄/BiOBr hybrids display significantly improved photocatalytic activity. Among the series, 6 wt% FeIn₂S₄/BiOBr shows the optimal photocatalytic performance, where the degradation efficiencies of TC and CIP are 3.15 and 2.88 times greater than pure BiOBr, respectively. Such an improvement could arise from the S-scheme heterojunctions and unique hierarchical structures, which brings stronger light absorption, higher photoexcited charge separation efficiency and superior redox ability. Furthermore, 6 wt% FeIn₂S₄/BiOBr composite exhibits excellent stability and reusability. Radical capture experiments and EPR analyses uncover that O₂^–, h⁺ and OH are primarily reactive substances during photocatalytic removal of TC. The products of TC were detected by LC-MS analyses and possible decomposition paths are proposed. Eventually, a possible photodegradation mechanism over FeIn₂S₄/BiOBr S-scheme heterojunction is proposed. These findings supply new perspective for the simple synthesis of S-scheme photocatalysts with promising applications in environment remediation.     

A facile sol-gel method for the fabrication of nitrogen doped TiO2/NiFe2O4/diatomite composite with enhanced photoactivity

N doped TiO₂/NiFe₂O₄/diatomite (NND) photocatalytic composite was fabricated via a facile two-step sol-gel method. Its crystal structure, morphology, specific surface area, pore size distribution and magnetic property were systematically characterized and analyzed. The photoactivity of NND was investigated via the degradation of Rhodamine B (RhB) solution under visible light irradiation. NND achieved high photodegradation efficiency due to the synergy between adsorption of diatomite (Dt) and degradation of TiO₂, as well as the synergy between TiO₂ and NiFe₂O₄. NND could be simply separated from aquatic environment using an external magnet, due to the ferromagnetism of NiFe₂O₄. We consider that NND is applicable for wastewater treatment.     

Multiple heterojunction system of Bi2MoO6/WO3/Ag3PO4 with enhanced visible-light photocatalytic performance towards dye degradation

Multiple heterojunction system of Bi₂MoO₆/WO₃/Ag₃PO₄ was designed via constructing binary heterojunction Bi₂MoO₆/WO₃, followed by the deposition of nano-Ag₃PO₄ on the surface of Bi₂MoO₆/WO₃. Various techniques were employed to characterize the properties of the as-prepared catalytic system. In this study, the decomposition efficiency of C.I. reactive blue 19 (RB-19) was used as a measure of photocatalytic activity and the Bi₂MoO₆/WO₃/Ag₃PO₄ composite exceeded its stand-alone components (pristine Ag₃PO₄, WO₃/Ag₃PO₄ and Bi₂MoO₆/Ag₃PO₄) by 3.16 times, 2.63 times and 1.75 times, respectively. The photocatalytic tests implied that the construction of multiple heterojunction could achieve efficient separation of photo-generated electrons and holes. A possible photocatalytic mechanism for Bi₂MoO₆/WO₃/Ag₃PO₄ system was also proposed according to the results of trapping experiments.     

Z-scheme mechanism for methylene blue degradation over Fe2O3/g-C3N4 nanocomposite prepared via one-pot exfoliation and magnetization of g-C3N4

The low surface area, high recombination rate of photogenerated charge carriers, narrow visible range activity, and difficulty in the separation from cleaned solutions limit the wide application of g-C₃N₄ as a photocatalyst. Herein, we have succeeded in developing a one-pot strategy to overcome the above-mentioned difficulties of g-C₃N₄. The broadening of the visible-light response range and inducing magnetic nature to g-C₃N₄ was succeeded by preparing a nanocomposite with Fe₂O₃ via a facile solvothermal method. The preparation method additionally imparted layer exfoliation of g-C₃N₄ as evident from the XRD patterns and TEM images. The strong interaction between the components is revealed from the XPS analysis. The broadened visible-light absorbance of Fe₂O₃/g-C₃N₄ with a Z-scheme photocatalytic degradation mechanism is well evident from the UV‒Vis DRS analysis and PL measurement of the composite with terephthalic acid. The active species of photocatalysis were further investigated using scavenging studies in methylene blue degradation that revealed hydroxyl radicals and holes as the major contributors to the activity of Fe₂O₃/g-C₃N₄.