A new visible light active multifunctional ternary composite based on TiO2–In2O3 nanocrystals heterojunction decorated porous graphitic carbon nitride for photocatalytic treatment of hazardous pollutant and H2 evolution

Abstract

Novel TiO2–In2O3@g–C3N4 hybrid system was synthesized by a facile solvothermal method. The photocatalytic activity of the TiO2–In2O3@g–C3N4 hybrid material was evaluated via degradation of RhB and hydrogen-production. It could be found that TiO2–In2O3@g–C3N4 ternary composites exhibit the highest RhB degradation rate, which was 6.6 times than that of pure g–C3N4. As expected, the H2-generation rate of the as-prepared ternary materials was found to increase by 48 times than that of pure g–C3N4. The enhanced activities were mainly attributed to the interfacial transfer of photogenerated electrons and holes among TiO2, In2O3 and g–C3N4, leading to the effective charge separation on these semiconductors, which were evidenced by photoluminescence spectroscopy, electrochemical impedance spectroscopy and photocurrent analysis. The photocatalytic mechanism and photostability of the ternary hybrid materials were also proposed. This work may provide a stepping stone towards the design and practical application of multifunctional hybrids photocatalysts in the photocatalytic degradation of pollutions and hydrogen generation.