Synthesis of magnetic g-C3N4/NiFe2O4 nanocomposites for enhanced visible-light photocatalytic performance

Abstract

A magnetically separable photocatalytic g-C3N4/NiFe2O4 nanocomposite was obtained via a two-step method. In the first step, the magnetic NiFe2O4 nanoparticles were acquired in a few minutes by ionic liquid self-combustion approach which significantly reduced the synthesis time of nanocomposites. Besides, the research of g-C3N4/NiFe2O4 nanocomposites for the visible-light-driven degradation of methylene blue in the absence of H2O2 was detailed. Compared with pure g-C3N4 and NiFe2O4, the as-prepared nanocomposites with NiFe2O4 doping of 12% manifested the enhanced photocatalytic activity and stability after three cycles for degrading methylene blue, and the photocatalytic process followed first-order reaction kinetics. Trapping experiments demonstrated that the H+ and OH• scavengers are the main active species and O2•− has a small effect for visible-light-driven degradation of methylene blue.