Issue 42, 2021

Fabrication of g-C3N4/Y-TiO2 Z-scheme heterojunction photocatalysts for enhanced photocatalytic activity

Abstract

The g-C3N4/Y-TiO2 Z-scheme heterojunction photocatalysts were successfully synthesized. Powder X-ray diffraction, scanning electron microscopy, high-resolution transmission electron microscopy, Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy, and X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy were used for characterization. The photocatalytic activity of the as-prepared samples was investigated via the degradation efficiency of rhodamine B (RhB) under visible-light irradiation, and 20 mg L−1 RhB was completely degraded in 90 min. The results showed that the photocatalytic degradation of RhB conformed to pseudo-first-order kinetic fitting, and the kinetic constants of g-C3N4/Y-TiO2 were 4.27 times higher than those of g-C3N4/TiO2 and 14.18 times higher than those of Y-TiO2, respectively. The enhanced photocatalytic activity of g-C3N4/Y-TiO2 was due to the formation of a Z-scheme heterojunction by Y at the g-C3N4/TiO2 interface. Formation of the Z-scheme heterojunction resulted in the suppression of photo-generated electron–hole pair recombination and the increase of their lifetimes, which was demonstrated by the transient photocurrent response, electrochemical impedance spectroscopy, and the time-resolved photoluminescence spectra. The superoxide radical and photo-generated holes played a dominant role in the photocatalytic degradation process of RhB by g-C3N4/Y-TiO2.

Graphical abstract: Fabrication of g-C3N4/Y-TiO2 Z-scheme heterojunction photocatalysts for enhanced photocatalytic activity

Article information

Article type
Paper
Submitted
01 Aug 2021
Accepted
29 Sep 2021
First published
29 Sep 2021

New J. Chem., 2021,45, 19903-19916

Fabrication of g-C3N4/Y-TiO2 Z-scheme heterojunction photocatalysts for enhanced photocatalytic activity

S. Pak, K. Ri, C. Xu, Q. Ji, D. Sun, C. Qi, S. Yang, H. He and M. Pak, New J. Chem., 2021, 45, 19903 DOI: 10.1039/D1NJ03691B

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