Construction, characterization, and photocatalytic study of La2Ti2O7/C3N4+xHy and La2Ti2O7/GO nanocomposites as efficient catalysts toward photodegradation of harmful organic dyes

Abstract

Fabrication of highly active photocatalysts which could be utilized for water detoxification is an urgent matter. Herein, we synthesized nanoparticles of La2Ti2O7 which are decorated with graphene oxide and carbon nitride via a simple microwave method. The structure, crystallinity, and morphology were determined to understand the physicochemical nature of the photocatalysts. The effect of pivotal parameters such as the amount of photocatalyst, dye concentration, and initial pH on degradation of methylen orang, methylene blue and rhodamine B, were examined under direct visible light irradiation. The prepared photocatalysts showed excellent photocatalytic activity with remarkable stability and recyclability without major loss of activity in the successive cycles. The results illustrate that the photocatalytic efficiency of graphene oxide and carbon nitride was enhanced by the addition of La2Ti2O7. These results indicate that the aforementioned nanocomposites are effective in degradation of dyes from wastewater and could be applied for large-scale industrial utilization in the future.