Silver-Nanoparticle-Decorated g-C3N4/MIL-53(Fe) Nanocomposites: A Pre-Eminent Visible-Light-Driven Photocatalyst toward Multimodal Photocatalytic Applications

Abstract

Designing a heterostructure photocatalyst material having high porosity with enhanced specific surface area and optoelectrical properties is one of the significant approaches toward the decontamination of hazardous organic contaminants and water-splitting reactions under visible light irradiation. In this study, a silver-nanoparticle-decorated g-C3N4 (ACN)/MIL-53(Fe) photocatalyst was developed having an improved surface area by a facile solvothermal approach. The as-synthesized pure and composite materials are characterized by X-ray diffraction, Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy, scanning electron microscopy, transmission electron microscopy, X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy, and photoluminescence analysis. It is observed that 15% of ACN-20 modified MIL-53 (MACN-15) exhibits improved charge separation between the photoinduced electron and hole pairs which eventually shows the highest photocatalytic applications in rhodamine B (RhB) degradation, photocatalytic Cr(VI) reduction, and photocatalytic hydrogen evolution from water splitting. The optimal photocatalyst (MACN-15) shows 98% of RhB degradation and 95% of Cr(VI) reduction efficiency within 60 min of visible light irradiation. The MACN-15 nanocomposite also exhibits a superior rate of H2 evolution (2.891 mmol g–1 h–1) with a specific conversion efficiency of 14.8%. A possible mechanism is also predicted for the MACN-15 nanocomposite in multimodal photocatalytic applications.