Efficacy of electrospun PAN/g-C3N4 nanofibers as a photocatalyst for the deterioration of hazardous azo dyes

Abstract

PAN and PAN/g-C3N4 nanofibers were fabricated using the electrospinning technique. Meanwhile, g-C3N4 nanoflakes were synthesized using the thermal decomposition technique. The challenge of reusing powder catalysts was ultimately surmounted due to the use of dispersed g-C3N4. Characterization of the as-fabricated PAN/g-C3N4 NFs was performed employing wide-angle powder X-ray diffraction (XRD), field emission scanning electron microscopy (FESEM), transmission electron microscope (TEM), Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy (FTIR), UV–Vis spectrophotometry (UV–Vis), thermogravimetry analysis (TGA), N2 adsorption-desorption isotherms (BET) and X-ray photoelectron spectrometer (XPS). According to morphological studies, g-C3N4 nanoflakes get uniformly decorated over PAN fibers with a greater specific surface area and smaller band gap than g-C3N4, exhibiting maximal uniformity in dispersion. Under solar light irradiation, PAN (71%), g-C3N4 (84%), and PAN/g-C3N4 nanofibers (95%) showed excellent photocatalytic performances for the degradation of Methyl orange dye (MO) in 120 min with 95% degradation. Similarly, PAN (61%), g-C3N4 (72%), and PAN/g-C3N4 nanofibers (91%) showed photocatalytic performances for the degradation of Congo red dye (CR) in 160 min with 91% degradation. This effective degradation was due to a shift in band gap with high porosity of PAN/g-C3N4 NFs compared to pure materials such as PAN and g-C3N4.