Photo-Fenton activated C3N4x/AgOy@Co1-xBi0.1-yO7 dual s-scheme heterojunction towards degradation of organic pollutants

Abstract

Fenton-heterojunction photocatalysis is widely applied related to environmental water remediation. Methylene blue (MB) and Oxytetracycline (OTC) were degraded by Fenton-activated catalysts under dark as well as visible light conditions. The C3N4x/AgOy@Co1-xBi1-yO7 was synthesized by the combination of sol-gel and annealing approaches. The synergetic effect of C3N4x/AgOy@Co1-xBi1-yO7 enhanced generation of active sites for photocatalytic degradation resulting in the broadening of visible light absorption efficiency. The photo corrosion of cobalt oxide-based composite was prevented by introduction of silver and graphitic carbon nitride. The prepared composites were used for exploiting photodegradation performance of aqueous MB and OTC solutions. Significant degradation efficiency of 96.4% MB and 93% of OTC was achieved in natural pH in 120 min and 160 min respectively. The degradation potential of C3N4x/AgOy@Co1-xBi1-yO7 is attributed to the lowered recombination rate of electron and hole pairs. The photoluminescent, EIS and band gap studies provided evidence for efficient degradation of MB and OTC. The composite maintained degradation efficiency of 78% and 75% even after four successive cycles. The reusability test confirmed the feasibility of photocatalyst for multiple uses. Besides, scavenger experiment was performed to investigate the role of radicals in the degradation of MB and OTC. Efficient degradation results revealed that C3N4x/AgOy@Co1-xBi1-yO7 is a promising Fenton-like catalyst that can be used for environmental wastewater remediation.