Facile fabrication of novel Z-scheme g-C3N4 nanosheets/ Bi7O9I3 photocatalysts with highly rapid photodegradation of RhB under visible light irradiation

Abstract

A simple and economical hydrothermal method has efficiently been utilized in the fabrication of a novel C3N4 nanosheet/Bi7O9I3 Z-scheme heterojunction. The synthesis process was carried out under ordinary temperature and pressure without any poisonous ingredients. Different techniques, such as EDX, XRD, FESEM, FTIR, UV–Vis, DRS, PL, and BET, were employed to analyze the as-prepared nanocomposite. To evaluate the photocatalytic activity, degradation of several cationic and anionic organic dyes, i.e., Rhodamine B (RhB), Congo red (CR), and malachite green (MG), under visible light irradiation was investigated. Among the Synthesized binary nanocomposites, the g-C3N4 nanosheet/Bi7O9I3 (15%) demonstrated a superlative efficient photocatalytic performance toward photodegradation of the above-mentioned organic dyes. The results exhibited that 94% of Rhodamine B was decomposed within 20 min by the photodegradation process. These results are due to the reduction of the recombination rate of electron-hole pairs, broadening the visible light harvesting, and improving the photocatalytic yield of graphite carbon nitride. According to the presented data and results, a probable mechanism is suggested. Also, the OH radicals were determined as the main reactive species involved in the degradation reaction. This work presents a novel, recyclable, and high-efficiency Z-scheme heterostructure photocatalyst that may provide a more promising approach for environmental restoration.