MoS2 modified g-C3N4 composite: A potential candidate for photocatalytic applications

Abstract

A potential photocatalytic activity of MoS2-modified g-C3N4 composite for methylene blue (MB) dye degradation is processed under sunlight radiation. The photocatalyst materials (g-C3N4, MoS2, and g-C3N4/MoS2) were prepared by low-temperature hydrothermal method and the synthesized samples were further characterized through the X-ray diffraction (XRD), UV–vis diffuse reflectance spectrometer (DRS), scanning electron microscope (SEM), energy dispersive X-ray spectroscopy (EDS) and Photoluminescence (PL) spectroscopy techniques. Initially, the formation of the crystalline structure of (g-C3N4, MoS2, and g-C3N4/MoS2) samples was identified through the XRD technique. Further, the morphology of the MoS2-modified g-C3N4 when observed through SEM was found to be a regular structure with minute pores and voids when compared to the other two samples resulting in better light absorption capacity. The elemental composition of synthesized composite is analyzed by XPS spectra. The energy band gap investigated through the DRS spectra was 2.9 eV, 1.8 eV and 1.82 eV for the g-C3N4, MoS2, and g-C3N4/MoS2 samples respectively. Further BET, TOC and scavenger radical analysis was conducted on the tested sample to analyze the degradation process. Thus, the composite photocatalyst material of MoS2-modified g-C3N4 has an enhanced recombination electron-hole pair rate. Finally, the photocatalytic feature of the composite (g-C3N4/MoS2) tested on MB dye solution under sunlight irradiation for 2 hr was found to be successful.