Abstract
Accelerating the photo-induced carrier separation in semiconducting materials under visible-light exposure is a great challenge in effective organic pollutant degradation. Herein, a mesoporous Cu2ZnSnS4/g-C3N4 heterojunction was synthesized through a facile sol-gel approach with hard and soft templates leading to a high-surface-area material. TEM analysis showed spherical Cu2ZnSnS4 nanocrystals (5 nm in diameter) with a high and uniform distribution on the g-C3N4 nanosheets. The Cu2ZnSnS4/g-C3N4 photocatalyst (3%) showed photocatalytic trichloroethylene (TCE) degradation to Cl− and CO2 of approximately 100% in an aqueous medium. The optimal rate for this photocatalyst was approximately 7.754 μmol L−1·min−1, which was 4 and ∼5.75 folds higher than that of bare Cu2ZnSnS4 and g-C3N4, respectively. Moreover, the apparent rate constant of 3% Cu2ZnSnS4/g-C3N4 was 7.6 and 4.1 times higher than that of bare g-C3N4 and Cu2ZnSnS4, respectively. Recycling experiments confirmed that the Cu2ZnSnS4/g-C3N4 photocatalyst exhibited remarkably stable photocatalytic activity and could be recycled five times. This work provides a novel insight into the design and preparation of visible-light-based photocatalysts with high and stable photocatalytic efficiency.
Sign-in/Register to access full text options 
Talk to us
Join us for a 30 min session where you can share your feedback and ask us any queries you have
Schedule a callDisclaimer: All third-party content on this website/platform is and will remain the property of their respective owners and is provided on "as is" basis without any warranties, express or implied. Use of third-party content does not indicate any affiliation, sponsorship with or endorsement by them. Any references to third-party content is to identify the corresponding services and shall be considered fair use under The CopyrightLaw.
