Photocatalytic Reaction System Research Articles

Plasmon-enhanced photocatalytic hydrogen production by dual dye sensitized ternary composite of MoS3/ Au core-Ag shell nanoparticles/ graphene

Herein, the ternary composite consisting of MoS3, Au core-Ag shell nanoparticles (Au@AgNP), and reduced graphene oxide (rGO) is synthesized for photocatalytic hydrogen evolution reaction. The various characterization studies reveal the co-existence of amorphous MoS3 nanoflakes and the Au@AgNP with the dual absorptions of surface plasmon resonance (SPR) in rGO nanosheets. With the help of single dye sensitization, the ternary composite exhibits a better photocatalytic activity of 9.6 mmol h−1 g−1 with the apparent quantum yield (AQY) of 7.8% and excellent long-term stability under visible light illumination. It also shows the wavelength-dependent photocatalytic activity under the different monochromatic light radiation. Interestingly, the photocatalytic performance of ternary composite further enhances when dual dyes are utilized for sensitization. The optimized photocatalytic reaction system shows a maximum H2 production rate of 10.6 mmol h−1 g−1 with the AQY of 8.6%. The higher activity of ternary photocatalysts is attributed to the amorphous MoS3 nanoflakes with the exposed reactive sites over the conductive rGO nanosheets, which promotes the electron transfer from photoexcited dyes to MoS3. More importantly, the extended SPR absorption of Au@AgNP in-line with the maximum absorption of dye molecules improves light-harvesting ability and efficiently stimulates the dye excitation.

Protonated g-C3N4 cooperated with Co-MOF doped with Sm to construct 2D/2D heterojunction for integrated dye-sensitized photocatalytic H2 evolution

A dye-sensitive photocatalytic H2 evolution reaction (HER) system with photogenerated carrier directed conduction was constructed. The protonated g-C3N4 combines with the sheet-like Co MOF to form a 2D/2D heterojunction via electrostatic self-assembly. The protonated g-C3N4 and 2D Co-MOF directionally adsorb Eosin Y (EY) and triethanolamine (TEOA) molecules through hydrogen bond and complexation to achieve a whole photocatalytic system. The integral structure effectively facilitates the utilization of dye sensitizer and hole sacrificial agent to achieve the effective and stable photocatalytic H2 evolution capacity. The photocatalytic hydrogen evolution rate of g-C3N4 after protonation is 1.88 times as high as that of the original g-C3N4. On the basis of 2D/2D heterojunction, Co MOF is doped with rare earth element Sm. The 4f electrons and the difference valences (Sm3+ and Co2+) further suppress the reorganization of photogenerated excitons to achieve highly efficient photocatalytic HER. The directional coupling of sensitizer and electron sacrificial agent combined with rare earth element doping makes the photocatalytic HER rate of the composite material reached 73.42 μmol.h−1 within 5 h under simulated sunlight.

Synthesis of Novel Ternary Dual Z-scheme AgBr/LaNiO3/g-C3N4 Composite with Boosted Visible-Light Photodegradation of Norfloxacin.

Promoting the separation of photogenerated charges and enhanced optical absorption capacity is the main means to modify photocatalytic capacities to advance semiconductor photocatalyst applications. For the first time, a novel ternary photocatalyst for dual Z-scheme system AgBr/LaNiO3/g-C3N4 (ALG) was prepared via a modest ultrasound-assisted hydrothermal method. The results indicated that LaNiO3 nanoballs and AgBr nanoparticles were successfully grown on the surface of g-C3N4 nanosheets. A dual Z-scheme photocatalytic reaction system could be constructed based on the energy band matching within AgBr, LaNiO3 and g-C3N4. Metallic Ag during the photocatalytic reaction process acted as the active electrons transfer center to enhance the photocatalytic charge pairs separation. The chemical composition of ALG was optimized and composites with 3% AgBr, 30% LaNiO3 and 100% g-C3N4 which was noted as 3-ALG displayed the best photocatalytic performance. A total of 92% of norfloxacin (NOR) was photodegraded within two hours over ALG and the photodegradation rate remained >90% after six cycles. The main active species during the degradation course were photogenerated holes, superoxide radical anion and hydroxyl radical. A possible mechanism was proposed based on the synergetic effects within AgBr, LaNiO3 and g-C3N4. This work would offer a credible theoretical basis for the application of dual Z-scheme photocatalysts in environment restoration.

Controllable Synthesis of Flower-Like MoS₂ and Its Quick Photodegradation of Methylene Blue Under Visible Irradiation.

Molybdenum disulfide (MoS₂) was synthesized via hydrothermal process under the assistance of citric acid, which exhibited high photocatalytic property in the application of methylene blue (MB) degradation. The flower ball microstructure of MoS₂ changed with different amounts of citric acid. X-ray diffraction (XRD), Scanning electron microscope (SEM), UV-Vis diffuse reflectance spectra have been employed to characterize the samples. It improved the photocatalytic efficiency nearly 19.77% compared to MoS₂ without citric acid. When H₂O₂ was added, the synergistic effect of MoS₂ and hydrogen peroxide (H₂O₂) was observed in photocatalytic reaction system, which degraded MB completely within 40 min under visible light irradiation.

In-situ fabrication of Z-scheme CdS/BiOCl heterojunctions with largely improved photocatalytic performance

In order to meet the needs of practical applications, it is indispensable to exploit novel Z-scheme-based heterojunctions with enhanced separation efficiency of photo-induced carries and photocatalytic activity. In this work, a series of Z-scheme CdS/BiOCl heterojunctions were synthesized by a facile hydrothermal method. The as-prepared samples were characterized by a series of analytic technique. The photocatalytic properties of the as-prepared samples were evaluated using rhodamine B (RhB) as model pollutant. The results imply that the CdS/BiOCl heterojunctions exhibit much higher photocatalytic decay abilities than the bare BiOCl and CdS under simulated sunlight irradiation. The boosted photocatalytic activities can be ascribed to the Z-scheme of separation property of photo-generated electron-hole pairs. The capture experiments and electron spin-resonance (ESR) results certify that the h+ and O2− radicals are the predominant active free species in the photocatalytic reaction system. In light of all the experimental results, we proposed a Z-scheme to elaborate the improved photocatalytic decontamination ability of CdS/BiOCl heterojunctions toward RhB.

Photocatalytic CO2 Reduction under Visible-Light Irradiation by Ruthenium CNC Pincer Complexes.

Photocatalytic CO2 reduction using a ruthenium photosensitizer, a sacrificial reagent 1,3-dimethyl-2-(o-hydroxyphenyl)-2,3-dihydro-1H-benzo[d]imidazole (BI(OH)H), and a ruthenium catalyst were carried out. The catalysts contain a pincer ligand, 2,6-bis(alkylimidazol-2-ylidene)pyridine (CNC) and a bipyridine (bpy). The photocatalytic reaction system resulted in HCOOH as a main product (selectivity 70-80 %), with a small amount of CO, and H2 . Comparative experiments (a coordinated ligand (NCMe vs. CO) and substituents (tBu vs. Me) of the CNC ligand in the catalyst) were performed. The turnover number (TONHCOOH ) of carbonyl-ligated catalysts are higher than those of acetonitrile-ligated catalysts, and the carbonyl catalyst with the smaller substituents (Me) reached TONHCOOH =5634 (24 h), which is the best performance among the experiments.

Fabrication of Z-Scheme WO3/KNbO3 Photocatalyst with Enhanced Separation of Charge Carriers

Z-Scheme photocatalysts as a research focus perform strong redox capability and high photocatalytic performance. WO3/KNbO3 photocatalysts were fabricated by ball milling method, and performed higher photocatalytic activity in liquid degradation(rhodamine B, methylene blue and bisphenol A), compared with WO3 or KNbO3 monomer. This is due to that Z-scheme heterojunction is formed between WO3 and KNbO3, and the holes photoexcited in valence band of KNbO3 are quickly combined with the electrons in conduction band of WO3. The electrons accumulated in conduction band of KNbO3 show high reducibility, thereby reducing O2 to •O2−, and the holes in valence band of WO3 show high oxidative to oxidize H2O to •OH, respectively. Furthermore, it is proved by means of electron spin resonance(ESR) spectra, terephthalic acid photoluminescence probing technique(TA-PL), and UV-Vis absorption spectra of nitroblue tetrazolium. This work indicates that the fabrication of Z-scheme structure can improve the photocatalytic activity by efficiently separating the photogenerated electrons and holes in the photocatalytic reaction system, which is helpful to deeply understand the migration mechanism of photoexcited carrier(band-band transfer and Z-scheme transfer) in heterojunction photocatalysts.

Self-Assembly of CdS/CdIn2S4 Heterostructure with Enhanced Photocascade Synthesis of Schiff Base Compounds in an Aromatic Alcohols and Nitrobenzene System with Visible Light.

A series of novel CdS/CdIn2S4 composite materials were prepared via a one-pot solvothermal process. The as-obtained photocatalysts were characterized by several techniques and the photocatalytic properties of CdS/CdIn2S4 photocatalysts were studied by photocascade synthesis of Schiff base compounds in a photocatalytic reaction system of aromatic alcohols and nitrobenzene irradiated with visible light. The results reveal that the resulting CdS/CdIn2S4 heterostructure samples show outstanding photocatalytic activities toward the photocascade production of Schiff base compounds in an aromatic alcohols and nitrobenzene reaction system irradiated with visible light. An optimized 50.0% CdS/CdIn2S4 heterostructure sample shows the highest Schiff base yield of 42.0% irradiated with visible light for 4 h, which is approximately 19.1 and 1.54 times higher than those of sole CdS and CdIn2S4 samples, respectively. The fabrication of heterogeneous structure improves the spatial separation and migration of photoinduced electron-hole pairs, thus contributing to the enhancement of photocatalytic properties. We foresee that this finding can offer a strategy to develop heterostructure composites for efficient synthesis of organics by photocatalysis under mild conditions.

Tetrahedral UMOFNs/Ag3PO4 Core-Shell Photocatalysts for Enhanced Photocatalytic Activity under Visible Light.

A new visible-light-responsive tetrahedral ultrathin metal–organic framework nanosheet (UMOFNs)/Ag3PO4 composite photocatalyst with a core–shell structure was readily synthesized by sonication in an organic solvent. Characterization methods for the photocatalyst included X-ray diffraction (XRD), scanning electron microscopy, transmission electron microscopy, and UV–vis diffuse reflectance spectroscopy. The XRD patterns of the composite photocatalyst before and after visible-light irradiation demonstrated that trace amounts of Ag ions in the composite photocatalyst easily transformed into Ag nanoparticles, which play a role in promoting charge separation at the interface of a heterojunction. The UMOFNs/Ag3PO4 composite photocatalyst showed higher photocatalytic activity for the photodegradation of 2-chlorophenol (2-CP) under visible-light irradiation (>420 nm) than Ag3PO4. The complete degradation of 2-CP was achieved in 7 min using the tetrahedral UMOFNs/Ag3PO4 core–shell photocatalyst, and the apparent reaction rate was approximately 26 times higher than that of pure Ag3PO4. Further, a scavenger experiment showed h+ and O2•– were the major reactive species involved in the photocatalytic reaction system. This enhanced photocatalytic activity results from the efficient separation of photoinduced electron–hole pairs and the increase of interface area between Ag3PO4, UMOFNs, and the Ag nanoparticles.

Enhanced Visible-Light Photocatalytic Degradation of Antibiotics by MoS2-Modified U-g-C3N4/T-g-C3N4 Isotypic Heterojunction

Based on U-g-C3N4 (U-gCN) and T-g-C3N4 (T-gCN) prepared with urea and thiourea as raw materials, respectively, a visible-light-driven MoS2-modified U-gCN/T-gCN/MoS2 (UTM) ternary heterojunction photocatalyst was successfully prepared using a sonication and bathing method. The photocatalytic activity of as-prepared photocatalyst was evaluated through the degradation of tetracycline hydrochloride (TC) and Rhodamine B (RhB) under the visible light irradiation. The UTM ternary heterojunction showed remarkably enhanced photocatalytic activity. For the degradation of TC and RhB, the degradation rates of 93.9% and 99.9% have been achieved after being irradiated under visible light for 2[Formula: see text]h and 1[Formula: see text]h, respectively. The enhanced photocatalytic performance can be ascribed to the role of loaded MoS2 cocatalyst and the well-formed interfaces between U-gCN and T-gCN, which not only enhance the light absorption, but also accelerate the separation and transfer of photogenerated electron–hole pairs. Furthermore, UTM ternary heterojunction has excellent recyclability and chemical stability. The photodegradation rates of 89.9% and 96.78% of TC and RhB have been obtained, respectively, after being reused for five times. Sacrificial agent tests demonstrate that [Formula: see text][Formula: see text] is the major reactive species in the photocatalytic reaction system.

Insights into the unique role of cobalt phosphide for boosting hydrogen evolution activity based on MIL-125-NH2

Controllable and efficient photo-catalyst is of particular importance not only for improving photo-catalytic activity of hydrogen evolution, but also for achieving more excellent performance of semiconductors in practical applications. Here two n-type semiconductors (cobalt phosphide (CoP) and MIL-125-NH2) as well as their complex catalysts (CoP/MIL-125-NH2) are reported and the unique role of cobalt phosphide in CoP/MIL-125-NH2 is systematically investigated for boosting hydrogen evolution activity based on MIL-125-NH2 under visible light-driven. CoP/MIL-125-NH2 can exhibit a 267-fold enhanced catalytic activity compared to the pristine MIL-125-NH2. Moreover, the excellent catalytic property of the as-prepared catalysts has been investigated in detail by several means of characterization. The findings are that the distinctive morphology and relatively ideal SBET of MIL-125-NH2 play particular role in the highly efficient photo-catalytic reaction system, and the highly efficient catalytic property of CoP/MIL-125-NH2 mainly depends on unique role of cobalt phosphide having excellent photo-catalytic performance for hydrogen evolution. Based on the above results, the possible mechanism of photo-catalytic hydrogen evolution is speculated.

CdS Photocorrosion Protection by MoSe2 Modification for Photocatalytic Hydrogen Production

As a promising and low-cost semiconductor photocatalyst, CdS can be excited under visible-light-driven and it has attracted extensive attention. In order to effectively avoid CdS photocorrosion, MoSe2/CdS composite is fabricated by mean of a special method. The MoSe2/CdS composite exhibits high photo-catalytic activity and stability, when the loading of MoSe2 is 5%, the H2-evolution yield of MoSe2/CdS composite photocatalyst reach 112.4 μmol h−1 under visible light irradiation, which is 4.94 times of pure CdS. In addition, the more detailed studies show that the improvement of photocatalytic activity and stability is due to the following reasons: it can be clearly found from the results of the UV–Visible diffuse reflectance spectrum that MoSe2 in MoSe2/CdS composite greatly improves the light absorption performance,which effectively increases the light absorption intensity of the MoSe2/CdS composite photocatalyst in the photocatalytic reaction system and promotes the electronic transition of the MoSe2/CdS composite photocatalyst. In addition, due to the excellent electron-transfer ability of MoSe2, the rapid transfer of photo-generated charges is further promoted, and the recombination of electron–hole pairs is effectively reduced, thereby MoSe2/CdS catalysts can provide more active sites for hydrogen evolution reaction. Moreover, the MoSe2/CdS composite photocatalyst shows higher photocurrent response, lower overpotential, faster electron transfer rate constant (KET) (3.33 × 108 s−1) and shorter fluorescence lifetime (2.52 ns) than pure CdS and pure MoSe2 because of the effective interface-electron transfer. The MoSe2/CdS composite photocatalyst effectively hinder the photoetching of CdS and achieves high photo-catalytic stability. And the possible mechanism of H2-evolution for MoSe2/CdS is proposed.

Efficient utilization of photogenerated electrons and holes for photocatalytic redox reactions using visible light-driven Au/ZnIn2S4 hybrid.

In this study, a new photocatalytic reaction system for simultaneous selective oxidation of aromatic alcohols to corresponding aldehydes and reduction of protons to H2 has been developed. The results reveal that compared with pure ZnIn2S4, the ZnIn2S4 photocatalysts modified with noble metal gold (Au/ZnIn2S4) significantly promote the photocatalytic performance. Among them, the 0.5% Au/ZnIn2S4 nanosheets shows the highest photocatalytic activity for selective oxidation of benzyl alcohol to benzaldehyde and hydrogen production, and the yields of H2 and benzaldehyde are 326.68 and 352.04 μmol under visible light irradiation for 4 h, respectively. Those are about 4.4 and 3.6 times higher than those of pure ZnIn2S4 sample (74.0 μmol H2 and 98.04 μmol benzaldehyde), respectively. The utilization ratio of photogenerated electrons to holes can achieve 92.8%. Additionally, the control experiments demonstrate that the photogenerated electrons and holes play significant roles during the reaction process. It is hoped that the current work can offer an avenue to utilize the photogenerated carriers more efficiently and to develop other photocatalytic reaction systems, such as nitrogen fixation and reduction of carbon dioxide.

Effective use of photogenerated electrons and holes in a system: Photocatalytic selective oxidation of aromatic alcohols to aldehydes and hydrogen production

Effective utilization of photogenerated electrons and holes in a system is always a research hotspot. Photocatalysis has been identified as a promising solution to tackle the current environmental and energy issues. However, photogenerated holes or electrons were wasted in the traditional photocatalytic process. In the paper, a dual-function photocatalytic reaction system was constructed using dispersed Ptx-modified 2D-3D Zn3In2S6 hierarchical structures (x = 1–4). In the system, aromatic alcohols were photocatalytically selectively oxidated into aldehydes and protons were reduced to hydrogen by photogenerated holes and electrons, respectively. In the reaction process, one aromatic alcohol is first dehydrogenated into aromatic aldehyde and two H+ via the corresponding carbon-centered radical by consuming of two holes, and then two H+ ions dehydrogenated from OH group and α CH of alcohol are evolved into H2 by depleting of two electrons. Atomically dispersed Ptx could offer the maximum atom efficiency and significantly promote visible light absorption and separation of photogenerated electron-hole pairs. The cooperative photoredox system exhibits remarkable photocatalytic activity for visible light-driven splitting of aromatic alcohols. Under visible light irradiation for 6 h, The H2 output over 2.14% Pt/Zn3In2S6 reaches up to 950 μmol, which is around 7.5, 5.3 and 3.8 times higher than that over Zn3In2S6, Pt-nanoparticle/Zn3In2S6 and MoS2/Zn3In2S6, respectively. The apparent quantum efficiency (AQE) of 2.14% Pt/Zn3In2S6 at 400 nm is about 4.6%. The utilization rate of photogenerated electrons to holes could be achieved 98.2%. Moreover, Pt/Zn3In2S6 hybrid shows high stability even when Zn3In2S6 was stored for 12 months. Compared with two half-reactions: the photocatalytic selective organics transformation under O2 atmosphere and the water splitting with sacrificial reagents, such designed dual-purpose photocatalytic reaction not only could effective use of photogenerated electrons and holes for organics transformation and hydrogen production simultaneously but also shows much higher photocatalytic activity than two half-reactions. At the same time, the work also expands the research field of photocatalysis, such as N2 fixation and CO2 reduction by using of the as-produced H+.

Visible-to-NIR Photon Harvesting: Progressive Engineering of Catalysts for Solar-Powered Environmental Purification and Fuel Production.

Utilization of diffusive solar energy through photocatalytic processes for environmental purification and fuel production has long been pursued. However, efficient capture of visible-near-infrared (NIR) photons, especially for those with wavelengths longer than 600 nm, is a demanding quest in photocatalysis owing to their relatively low energy. In recent years, benefiting from the advances in photoactive material design, photocatalytic reaction system optimization, and new emerging mechanisms for long-wavelength photon activation, increasing numbers of studies on the harnessing of visible-NIR light for solar-to-chemical energy conversion have been reported. Here, the aim is to comprehensively summarize the progress in this area. The main strategies of the long-wavelength visible-NIR photon capture and the explicitly engineered material systems, i.e., narrow optical gap, photosensitizers, upconversion, and photothermal materials, are elaborated. In addition, the advances in long-wavelength light-driven photo- and photothermal-catalytic environmental remediation and fuel production are discussed. It is anticipated that this review presents the forefront achievements in visible-NIR photon capture and at the same time promotes the development of novel visible-NIR photon harnessing catalysts toward efficient solar energy utilization.

Photocatalytic Degradation Mechanism of Tetracycline by Ag@ZnO/C Core–Shell Plasmonic Photocatalyst Under Visible Light

A series of hamburger-like Ag@ZnO/C core–shell plasmonic photocatalysts have been synthesized via a simple solvothermal method for degradation of tetracycline (TC) under visible light irradiation, possessing high photocatalytic activity and good stability. The presence of localized surface plasmon resonance (LSPR) in the Ag core has increased the photocatalytic activity over an extended wavelength range. The plasmon-induced resonant energy transfer (PIRET) and direct electron transfer (DET) have facilitated the excitation and separation of photogenerated [Formula: see text] pairs, which has been further confirmed by electrochemical investigations. The presences of hydroxyl radicals ([Formula: see text]), superoxide radicals ([Formula: see text] and singlet oxygen (1O[Formula: see text] in the photocatalytic reaction system of Ag@ZnO/C photocatalyst have been demonstrated by electron spin resonance (ESR) measurements. All of the experiment results indicate that the ternary structure of Ag@ZnO/C can effectively enhance the photocatalytic activity. Furthermore, the effects of introduced Ag contents and carbon source dosage were researched by comparative photocatalytic experiments, and the potential structures of photodegradation products were studied by HPLC-MS.

Bimetallic Fe/Ti‐Based Metal–Organic Framework for Persulfate‐Assisted Visible Light Photocatalytic Degradation of Orange II

AbstractAmine‐functionalized bimetallic Fe/Ti‐based metal–organic frameworks (Fe/Ti‐MOF‐NH2) were synthesized via the solvothermal method and used as photocatalysts and activators for persulfate (PS)‐assisted visible light photocatalytic degradation of Orange II. Nearly 100% of Orange II was removed within 10 min in the Fe/Ti‐MOF‐NH2(3:1)/PS/Vis process, while only 10.7% and 70.9% of Orange II were removed in Fe/Ti‐MOF‐NH2(3:1)/Vis and Fe/Ti‐MOF‐NH2(3:1)/PS processes within 10 min, respectively. Therefore, the synergistic effect of PS activation and visible light photocatalysis was demonstrated by the Fe/Ti‐MOF‐NH2(3:1) composite. The enhanced photocatalytic activity of the photocatalyst can be attributed to the efficient electrons transfer by Fe3+/Fe2+ and Ti4+/Ti3+ redox cycles, activation of PS by photogenerated electrons to produce sulfate radicals (SO4•−), and increased formation of hydroxyl radicals (•OH). Concurrently, the Fe/Ti‐MOF‐NH2(3:1) photocatalyst also exhibited good reusability and stability in the photocatalytic reaction system.

PdSn/NiO/NaTaO3:La for photocatalytic ammonia synthesis by reduction of NO3− with formic acid in aqueous solution

Photocatalytic ammonia synthesis is of great importance but remains very challenging in photocatalysis. Here, we fabricated a photocatalytic reaction system for the efficiently photocatalytic nitrate reduction to ammonia under UV irradiation using PdSn/NiO/NaTaO3:La as a photocatalyst in the presence of formic acid. Several important factors of the photocatalytic performance were investigated, including initial concentration of the nitrate solution, initial pH value and cocatalyst loadings. Nitrate conversion reaches 100% and ammonia selectivity is 72% over the optimum photocatalyst with 5% bimetallic PdSn alloy and 0.2% NiO loadings. The outstanding performance of photocatalyst can be ascribed to both the strong adsorption of nitrite on NiO and the efficient separation of electron-hole pairs by PdSn bimetallic alloy. Besides as the hole scavenger, formic acid also provides not only carboxyl anion radicals for nitrate reduction but also the in-situ buffer effect on ammonia formation. These results give inspiration for designing the reactive system with efficient photocatalytic ammonia synthesis.

Fluorescein-sensitized Au/g-C3N4 nanocomposite for enhanced photocatalytic hydrogen evolution under visible light

Au/g-C3N4 composite is prepared through protonation of g-C3N4, followed by electrostatic adsorption of AuCl4− and subsequent chemical reduction. The homogeneous deposition of Au nanoparticles with an average diameter of 4.1 nm on g-C3N4 is confirmed by TEM measurement. Compared with pure g-C3N4, Au/g-C3N4 composite exhibits a significant improvement in the photocatalytic activity for H2 production from water in the presence of triethanolamine as sacrificial electron donor under visible light irradiation (λ > 420 nm). Significantly, the rate of H2 production increases more than 22 times by adding fluorescein in the photocatalytic reaction system. It is more than 25 times higher than that of protonated g-C3N4 in the presence of fluorescein. Based on our experimental results, the mechanism of photocatalytic activity for H2 evolution over fluorescein-sensitized Au/g-C3N4 nanocomposite is accordingly proposed. The highly-improved performance is ascribed to the efficient transfer of photo-generated electrons among photo-excited fluorescein molecule, g-C3N4 and Au, which is supported by photoluminescence spectra and transient photocurrent responses.

Photocatalytic degradation of organic contaminants by g-C3N4/EPDM nanocomposite film: Viable, efficient and facile recoverable

The original metal free graphitic carbon nitride/ethylene propylene diene monomer nanocomposite film (g-C3N4/EPDM NCF) was fabricated by facile solution cast method. g-C3N4/EPDM NCF with diameter (50mm) and thickness (4mm) was investigated towards the photocatalytic degradation of methylene blue (MB) and methyl orange (MO) dye solution under visible light irradiation. The as synthesized g-C3N4/EPDM NCF was exhibited high crystalline nature with the crystalline size of 21.53nm, the smooth surface nature and the particle size was observed from the TEM analysis is 20nm. Furthermore, the influence of operational parameters was carried out which demonstrated that 100mg photocatalyst and 25μM of dye concentration were obtained as an optimized condition for the best photocatalytic degradation results. As a result of scavenger experiment, it was concluded that the hydroxyl radical (OH) was actively involved in the photocatalytic degradation. The g-C3N4/EPDM NCF were recoverable from the photocatalytic reaction system and the present find findings may open up a new platform for the simple handpicked photocatalyst.