Abstract
Growth of graphitic carbon nitride on mesoporous TiO2 spheres with well-controlled structures was achieved by melt-infiltrating dicyandiamide (DICY). The molten DICY diffused into the porous structure of TiO2, and g-C3N4 was produced inside the mesopores formed by packing of TiO2 nanoparticles at higher temperature, resulting in a better fused g-C3N4-TiO2 heterostructure. The formation of a strong interfacial connection between TiO2 and g-C3N4 by this preparation method greatly improved the separation efficiency of photo-generated electrons and holes. TiO2/g-C3N4 composites exhibited much higher photocatalytic activity than TiO2 and g-C3N4 towards the degradation of Rhodamine B under both UV light and UV–vis light irradiation. The heterostructured combination provided a synergistic photocatalytic activity through an efficient electron transfer process. Based on the experimental results, a possible mechanism for the improved photocatalytic performance was proposed. The factors affecting the photocatalytic activity were also discussed based on the result of structure analysis, optical and photoelectric characteristics, and photocatalytic reactions.
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