Novel multilayer TiO2 heterojunction decorated by low g-C3N4 content and its enhanced photocatalytic activity under UV, visible and solar light irradiation

Yizheng Wang,Weidong Peng,Jiang Yu,Chun Yang,Jing Tian

doi:10.1038/s41598-019-42438-w

Yizheng Wang, Weidong Peng + Show 3 more

Open Access

https://doi.org/10.1038/s41598-019-42438-w

Copy DOI

Journal: Scientific Reports	Publication Date: Apr 11, 2019
Citations: 24	License type: open-access

Affiliation: Sichuan University, Sichuan Normal University

Abstract

In this paper, we used a facile ball milling, microwave radiation and heating treatment method to achieve the surface modification of TiO2 with low g-C3N4 concentration, and a multilayer heterojunction composite with TiO2 as the main part and g-C3N4 as the modification agent was obtained. The obtained materials were analyzed by several characterizations to get information on their chemical composition, crystalline structure, vibrational features and optical properties. The photocatalytic performance was evaluated by degradation of rhodamine B (RhB) and methylene blue (MB) under UV, visible and direct solar light irradiation. Its photocatalytic activity was enhanced depended on the novel structure of g-C3N4/TiO2 hybrid and the special Z-scheme electron-hole transfer model of multilayer heterointerfaces. The material preparation and structural features could be useful for the design and development of other photocatalysts with high photocatalytic activity.

Highlights

In this paper, we used a facile ball milling, microwave radiation and heating treatment method to achieve the surface modification of TiO2 with low g-C3N4 concentration, and a multilayer heterojunction composite with TiO2 as the main part and g-C3N4 as the modification agent was obtained
The TCN-2 sample has two weight loss regions: the former weight loss occurred at around 100~300 °C due to desorption of surface bound water and the dehydrogenation and deammonia of melamine to produce g-C3N4, the later weight loss from 300 °C to 500 °C was due to the combustion of g-C3N4 in the air atmosphere
In the special crystal interfaces of the multilayer g-C3N4/TiO2 composite, the charge distribution has a superposition effect based on a special Z-scheme electron-hole transfer model

Summary

Introduction

We used a facile ball milling, microwave radiation and heating treatment method to achieve the surface modification of TiO2 with low g-C3N4 concentration, and a multilayer heterojunction composite with TiO2 as the main part and g-C3N4 as the modification agent was obtained. The slight change of g-C3N4 contents in the three TCN samples had a little difference in the photocatalytic performance under solar light, which may be due to the small change of hybrid’s band gap caused by the low g-C3N4 contents, the degradation efficiencies of the three samples could further illustrate that it is feasible to improve the photocatalytic performance of TiO2 with low g-C3N4 content.

Results

Conclusion