Z-scheme mechanism for methylene blue degradation over Fe2O3/g-C3N4 nanocomposite prepared via one-pot exfoliation and magnetization of g-C3N4
Shemeena MULLAKKATTUTHODI1, Vijayasree HARIDAS1, Sankaran SUGUNAN2, Binitha N. NARAYANAN1,3()
1. Department of Chemistry, Sree Neelakanta Government Sanskrit College (Affiliated to University of Calicut) Pattambi, Palakkad 679306, Kerala, India 2. Department of Applied Chemistry, Cochin University of Science and Technology, Cochin 22, Kerala, India 3. Department of Chemistry, University of Calicut, Malappuram, Kerala 673635, India
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.
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