Z-scheme α-Fe2O3/g-C3N4 with the Fe[sbnd]OC[sbnd] bond toward enhanced photocatalytic degradation

Abstract

The key to developing efficient Z-scheme photocatalysts is to improve the electron transport ability of the interface through structural design via the preparation method. In this work, a Z-scheme α-Fe2O3/g-C3N4 photocatalyst with a Fe-O-C bond providing bridge-mediated electron transfer was obtained through the genetic strategy. Utilizing the hydrogen bonds between Fe(OH)3 and dicyandiamide, the Fe-O-C bond formed at the interface between α-Fe2O3 and g-C3N4 during high-temperature polymerization. Moreover, the effects of the Fe-O-C bond on the photocatalytic performance of the Z-scheme photocatalyst were carefully investigated. It was found the α-Fe2O3/g-C3N4 photocatalyst with the Fe-O-C bond had an excellent photocatalytic degradation performance, structural stability and catalytic stability. The improvement of the photocatalytic efficiency is attributed to the expanded absorption of visible light by the semiconductor combination, the Fe-O-C bond acting as an efficient electron transfer channel and the Z-scheme structure retaining its strong redox ability. This work introduces a novel approach for the preparation of other effective Z-scheme photocatalysts.