RhB Solution Research Articles

Engineering ceria oxide with nickel doping and rich oxygen vacancies for enhanced electrocatalytic degradation of aromatic organics

Aromatic dyes are widely applicable in the textile, leather, and ink industries yet receive serious contamination issues to water bodies, soil, and even air. Herein, we develop an efficient electrocatalytic oxidation method for degrading aromatic dyes via developing supportive CeO2-based electrode materials decorating with highly dispersive Ni and rich oxygen vacancies. The decorating Ni species are in situ converted from a composite of CeO2 nanocrystals and formamide-derived polyaminoimidazole (PAI)-coordinated Ni to ensure the high dispersion of Ni species. The decomposition of PAI ligands also helps to create the localized reductive atmosphere for the generation of rich surface oxygen vacancies, which further benefits the enhancement of electronic conductivity and charge transport ability. The effects of Ni doping concentrations, Rhodamine B (RhB, as a simulating aromatic dye) concentrations, pH of RhB solution, types and concentrations of electrolytes, and working current densities on the degradation performance are comprehensively investigated. Electrocatalytic measurements reveal that the CeO2 catalyst with optimal Ni concentration and fine single-crystal sizes of 5.5 ± 0.03 nm (termed as Ni0.025-CeO2-x) exhibits very promising degradation efficiency (96.9 %) and structural durability (repeated use for 5 cycles with limited activity decrease).

Enhanced photodegradation performance of Zn-BiPO4 on RhB and TC under the synergistic effect of oxygen vacancies and built-in electric field

In this work, Zn2+ ions doped BiPO4 photocatalyst was successfully prepared by one-step hydrothermal method for the first time. The degradation rates of the optimal sample on RhB and TC solution reached 91.5 % and 81.25 % under simulated sunlight exposure for 3 and 5 hours, respectively, while pure BiPO4 only reached 59.22 % and 49.4 %. The improved photocatalytic performance was due to the synergistic effect of oxygen vacancies and built-in electric field. The EPR test demonstrated the generation of more oxygen vacancies in the optimal sample. Additionally, the electrochemical experiments showed that the photocurrent intensity of the optimal sample was about 3 times than that of pure BiPO4, indicating an enhanced carrier separation and transfer ability after doping Zn2+ ions. Through density functional theory (DFT), the incorporated Zn2+ ions caused the contraction of crystal structure and the redistribution of charges, leading to a built-in electric field. As few studies pay attention to the relationship between oxygen vacancies and the built-in electric field. This study has enlightening significance for the construction of photocatalysts with oxygen vacancies and built-in electric field through doping engineering.

Synthesis of a new FeMoO4/AgI nanocomposite for enhanced RhB degradation under visible light

A new visible light-active FeMoO4/AgI nanocomposites was synthesized via a straightforward co-precipitation process. The resulting FeMoO4/AgI nanocomposites undertake comprehensive characterization using XRD, FT-IR, SEM, TEM, UV–vis DRS, PL and XPS spectroscopic analyses. Morphological investigations revealed that AgI nanoparticles aggregated and adhered to FeMoO4 nanoplates. When subjected to visible light, the FeMoO4/AgI nanocomposites exhibited superior efficiency in decomposing RhB solution compared to pure AgI. The optimized FeMoO4-loaded AgI nanocomposite with a 10 wt% loading demonstrated significantly enhanced degrading efficiency, achieving around 73% degradation and a rate constant of 1.94×10–2 min−1. This efficiency was 2.3 times higher than that of pure AgI. Recycling test conducted with the optimized FMO/AgI-10 nanocomposite indicated sustained degrading activity over five cycles. Active radicals, particularly superoxide (O2–) and holes (h+), were identified as crucial role in the degradation of RhB. Therefore, we believe that the newly developed FeMoO4/AgI nanocomposite holds promise as a viable material for treating RhB-contaminated wastewater.

A Photothermal/Catalytic Integrated Solar Evaporator for Stable Purification of High‐Concentration Dye Sewage

AbstractSolar evaporators have demonstrated huge potential in sewage purification and clean water supply based on their cost‐effective and sustainable merits. However, it remains challenging to realize the stable purification of high‐concentration dye sewage over the long term. Here, by incorporating a heterojunction photocatalyst, a photothermal/catalytic integrated solar evaporator is conceived to stabilize the purification of high‐concentration dye sewage. It is composed of g‐C3N4@TiO2 heterojunction as the photocatalyst, carbon nanotubes (CNTs) as the photothermal materials, and polyvinyl alcohol (PVA) network as water transportation material. The high photocatalytic activity of heterojunction enables the g‐C3N4@TiO2/CNTs/PVA (CTCP) evaporator to photodegrade the accumulated dye molecules on its evaporation surface under light irradiation during purifying dye sewage. More remarkably, the integrated CTCP evaporator achieves a stable evaporation rate of 2.30 kg m−2 h−1 in 1 mg mL−1 RhB solution with continuous light irradiation for 100 h, exhibiting preeminent long‐term stability. With the capacities of long‐term stable and high‐rate purification of high‐concentration dye sewage, it is expected that this CTCP evaporator provides an effective alternative to treat high‐concentration dye sewage and has direct implications in engineering multifunctional solar evaporators for complex wastewater treatment.

Carbon Nanofiber Membranes Loaded with MXene@g-C3N4: Preparation and Photocatalytic Property

In this study, a Ti3C2 MXene@g-C3N4 composite powder (TM-CN) was prepared by the ultrasonic self-assembly method and then loaded onto a carbon nanofiber membrane by the self-assembly properties of MXene for the treatment of organic pollutants in wastewater. The characterization of the TM-CN and the C-TM-CN was conducted via X-ray diffraction (XRD), scanning electron microscopy (SEM), X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy (XPS), and Fourier transform infrared spectrometer (FTIR) to ascertain the successful modification. The organic dye degradation experiments demonstrated that introducing an appropriate amount of Ti3C2 MXene resulted in the complete degradation of RhB within 60 min, three times the photocatalytic efficiency of a pure g-C3N4. The C-TM-CN exhibited the stable and outstanding photocatalytic degradation of the RhB solution over a wide range of pH values, indicating the characteristics of the photodegradation of organic pollutants in a wide range of aqueous environments. Furthermore, the results of the cyclic degradation experiments demonstrated that the C-TM-CN composite film maintained a degradation efficiency of over 85% after five cycles, thereby confirming a notable improvement in its cyclic stability. Consequently, the C-TM-CN composite film exhibits excellent photocatalytic performance and is readily recyclable, making it an auspicious eco-friendly material in water environment remediation.

Swellable hybrid silicas for the removal of rhodamine B dye from aqueous phase

This study is focused on the use of a hybrid organic-inorganic silica (Silica-SOM) for the removal of Rhodamine B dye (RhB) from water media. Because of its hybrid structure, Silica-SOM has the unique property of being swellable in the presence of an organic solvent, thus increasing the volume available for pollutants adsorption. The adsorption capacity of the Silica-SOM to adsorb RhB from water media has been determined. In particular, if the material is previously swollen with an organic solvent, it is able to sequester more than 99 % of dye molecules in a 1.0 × 10−5 M RhB solution in less than 1 h at ambient conditions. In addition, the ability of Silica-SOM to be re-generated by mild sonication in ethanol after one RhB adsorption cycle was tested for the first time: the material was easily regenerated and used for six consecutive adsorption cycles; in each of them there is no loss in adsorption performance, which remains quantitatively high and extremely fast.

The enhanced degradation of Bi4O5I2 photocatalyst to the various organic pollutants through the upconversion luminescence of Yb3+/Er3+

The types of pollutants in water environment are very complex, so it is very important to develop a photocatalyst that can have universal applicability to a variety of pollutants. In this study, Bi4O5I2 was modified by Yb3+ and Er3+ doping, and an efficient photocatalyst with upconversion luminescence was found. After heat treatment, the sample was transformed from BiOI to Bi4O5I2 (BI), and the crystallite size of BI was significantly reduced and the porosity increased, which provided more active sites for the photocatalytic reaction, and the photocatalytic performance of BI samples was greatly improved. Compared with Er3+ single doped samples (BIE), Yb3+ and Er3+ co-doping (BIYE) effectively promotes the photogenerated carrier migration. Under simulated sunlight, BiOI, BI, BIE and BIYE degraded 30.1%, 62.2%, 72.6% and 92.1% of RhB solution within 30 min of illumination, respectively. In addition, the degradation of MB, MO, carmine, phenol and TC by BIYE were also tested. The results show that BIYE has a good ability to degrade a variety of organic pollutants that are difficult to degrade. The results of photocurrent response test show that BIYE has a stable photocurrent response signal to near-infrared light, which means that BIYE can respond to near-infrared light. The upconversion luminescence of the sample was further investigated. The energy transfer between Yb3+ and Er3+ enhances the upconversion luminescence of Er3+, that is, the conversion of near-infrared light into visible light, which can be absorbed and utilized by Bi4O5I2 matrix. The degradation of RhB solution was tested under near-infrared conditions, and the results show that BIYE also has excellent photocatalytic ability under near-infrared light.

Preparation and Performance Study of S-Doped g-C3N4 Photocatalyst

In order to further improve the photocatalytic performance of pure CN, SCN (1:1), SCN (1:2), and SCN (2:1) photocatalysts were prepared using a one-step thermal polymerization method. The morphology of the prepared pure CN and SCN was characterized using SEM, XRD, UV, PL, and XPS to identify the reasons for their improved performance. Proved the photocatalytic degradation effect of prepared CN and SCN on RhB solution. The photocatalytic degradation efficiency of RhB by SCN (1:1) is 90.3%, which is nearly 1.72 times higher than that of CN52.38%. After a series of characterization, it was found that the SCN photocatalyst layer is thinner than the CN photocatalyst layer, and a large number of micron sized pores are distributed on the surface of SCN, increasing the specific surface area of SCN. Introducing an appropriate mass ratio of S element will improve the crystallinity of SCN photocatalysts. An appropriate mass ratio of SCN can reduce the band gap, which decreases from 2.70 eV corresponding to CN to 2.62 eV (1:1) of SCN. The photoresponse range undergoes a red shift, which is beneficial for the photocatalytic reaction and thus improves the performance of the photocatalyst. SCN can inhibit the recombination of photo generated electrons and holes, and improve the activity of photocatalysts.

Multifunctional electrospun PP/PVDF‐HFP/MIL‐53(Fe) composite nanofiber membrane for air filtration and dye degradation

AbstractIn this paper, a high‐performance composite nanofiber membrane with excellent air filtration and dye degradation properties was prepared by incorporating MIL‐53(Fe) nanoparticles into the electrospinning solution. The results showed that the filtration efficiency for PM2.5 of the PP/PVDF‐HFP/MIL‐53(Fe) composite nanofiber membrane reached up to 99.3% with the addition of 2 wt% MIL‐53(Fe). Moreover, the composite nanofiber membrane exhibited steady filtration efficiency across different parameters, including air velocity, PM2.5 concentration, and extended testing time. Furthermore, the incorporation of MIL‐53(Fe) significantly enhanced the removal efficiency of the composite nanofiber membrane toward Rh B, resulting in a remarkable 91% removal rate. The polymer/MOF composite nanofiber membranes prepared by simple and cheap electrospinning technology have a wide range of practical applications in the field of environmental protection.Highlights PPM composite nanofiber membrane was prepared via electrospinning method. MIL‐53(Fe) nanoparticles were introduced to PPM composite nanofiber membrane. PPM composite nanofiber membrane showed excellent removal efficiency for PM2.5. PPM composite nanofiber showed a good removal performance for RhB in solution.

Synthesis of La-ZnO/BiOCl heterojunction photocatalyst with enhancement of photodegradation under the visible light

Semiconductor photocatalysis is an efficient technique to degrade the pollutants from wastewater. Herein, the doping of elements and the construction of heterojunctions are used to expand the visible light region and improve the transfer of photogenerated electrons-holes. The La-ZnO/BiOCl (LZB) heterojunction has been synthesized via the hydrothermal method. Furthermore, LZB-0.30 heterojunction is found to possess the optimal photodegradation efficiency of 100 % for RhB solution under the visible light within 45 min. Its degradation rate is ten times faster than that of La-ZnO, owing to positive development of photostimulated charge carriers. In addition, the results demonstrate that LZB-0.30, as an ideal photocatalyst, has great potential applications in the treatment of contaminants, providing a feasible strategy for environmental protection.

Efficient adsorption‐photocatalysis activity of ternary ZnO‐Sm2O3‐MgO co‐modified biochar for dye removal

To boost the adsorption‐photocatalytic performances of biochar in wastewater treatment, biochar was modified with ternary metal oxides ZnO, Sm2O3, and MgO (ZnSm/Mg‐biochar) via the one‐step pyrolysis method. The optimal 2b‐ZnSm/Mg‐biochar with a Zn/Sm molar ratio of 1:1 exhibited the better removal activity of RhB in comparison with biochar, 2‐Mg/biochar, and b‐ZnSm/biochar. The removal efficiency and adsorption capacity of 2b‐ZnSm/Mg‐biochar was 99.46% and 979.22 mg g−1 for RhB solution of 410 mg g−1, respectively. The adsorption kinetics and isotherms of ZnSm/Mg‐biochar composites were as described by second‐order and Langmuir models, respectively. The abundant vacant sites at the junction interface of ZnO, Sm2O3, MgO, and biochar were favorable for the adsorption and photon capturing, achieving the efficient photo‐conversion of RhB under the stimulated solar‐light irradiation.

Enhanced photocatalytic performance of ZnO under visible light by co-doping of Ta and C using hydrothermal method.

This study attempted to improve the photocatalytic activity of zinc oxide (ZnO) semiconductors in the visible light region by introducing the co-doping of carbon (C) and tantalum (Ta) to ZnO (ZTC) using a simple hydrothermal method with the respective precursors. The obtained uniform ZTC nanoparticles with an average crystal size of 29.30 nm (according to Scherrer's equation) revealed a redshift with a decrease in bandgap (Eg) from 3.04 eV to 2.88 eV, allowing the obtained photocatalyst to absorb the energy of the visible light for photocatalysis. Furthermore, the Zn 2p and Ta 4f core level spectra confirmed the presence of Zn2+ and Ta5+ in the ZTC sample. In addition, the infrared spectra identified hydrogen-related defects (HRDs), while the O 1s spectra indicated the existence of oxygen vacancies (VO). Electrochemical tests revealed improvement in the electron conductivity and charge separation of the obtained materials. To follow, the photocatalytic performance assessment was conducted by varying the C/Zn2+ ratios (5, 10, and 15 mol%) in ZTC samples, the initial RhB concentration (7, 15, and 30 ppm), and the pH of the RhB solution (3.0-10.0). The photodegradation on ZTC samples showed the most effectiveness for a 7 ppm RhB solution with a C/Zn2+ ratio of 10 mol% in the slightly alkaline medium (pH 9.0). Additionally, ZTC also exhibited commendable durability after being reused several times. The nature of RhB photodegradation was proposed and discussed via a mechanism at the end of this work.

Hydrazine-driven cation valence regulation and defect engineering in CeVO4 for highly efficient reduction of organic dyes and heavy metal pollutants in the dark

Tetragonal wakefieldite (CeVO4)-like CeVOS catalysts with exceptional performance in catalytic reduction of Cr6+, MB, and RhB pollutants in the presence of NaBH4 under dark was prepared via a green and facile method. Hydrazine reduces V5+ ions to elevate the V4+ contents, and sulfur-doped is employed to balance lattice deviations from electrical neutrality induced by high V4+ concentrations, enhancing overall stability. Hydrazine modulation regulates the V4+/(V4++V5+) ratio, influencing sulfur doping, defect structure, and electron transfer efficiency. The CeVOS catalyst with an optimized V4+/(V4++V5+) ratio of 0.46 with abundant oxygen vacancies and exhibited exceptional catalytic performance. The 100 mL 50 ppm Cr6+, MB, and RhB solution were completely reduced in 10 min and durable stability, after six runs, it still achieved a 98.8% reduction of Cr6+ within 10 min. Response surface methodology (RSM) elucidated variable interactions and their influence on catalytic reduction performance. The model’s robustness is underscored by a predicted R2 of 0.9345. Optimal conditions for pollutant treatment in practical applications are 15 mg of catalyst, 25 mg of sacrificial agent, and a pH value of 6.8. Therefore, the green synthesis of efficient CeVOS catalysts bears excellent promise for industrial wastewater treatment.

Ultrafast piezo-photocatalytic degradation of dye pollutants using UiO-66-NH2(Hf) metal-organic framework-based nanoparticles

Due to a synergistic effect of piezo-catalysis and photocatalysis, piezo-photocatalysis is gaining popularity as an effective approach to remove organic pollutants. In this work, single-component piezo-photocatalytic nanoparticles of UiO-66-NH2(Hf) metal-organic frameworks were prepared by a hydrothermal process with an average diameter of ∼52.6 nm. An ultrafast piezo-photocatalysis degradation of RhB solution was achieved by using the UiO-66-NH2(Hf) nanoparticles. Under UV light and ultrasound irradiation, the percentage of dye degradation for an initial RhB concentration of 5 mg/L reached 91 % in 60 s. The removal mechanism of RhB was investigated via capture experiments of active species, which revealed that the hydroxyl radicals and hole play a key role in the degradation of RhB. This work provides a reference for the piezo-photocatalytic capability and the underlying mechanism of single-component metal-organic framework based nanomaterials, promoting their further development in technological applications involving highly efficient catalysts.

High-Efficiency Cycling Piezo-Degradation of Organic Pollutants and the Piezocatalysis–Adsorption Duality of MoS2 Nanoflowers

This study realized the large-scale piezo-catalytic RhB dye degradation by forming a catalytic filter of 2H phase MoS2 and carbon cloth. Over 2.5 liters of the organic pollutant can be fully decomposed through the application of a water pumping system. The results obtained indicate that 2H MoS2 NFs were highly reusable and have excellent potential for the application in industrial wastewater treatment. Furthermore, this study theoretically and experimentally investigates the piezocatalytic and adsorption effects of different phases of polymorphic MoS2 NFs. By adjusting the electrostatic surface charge of these NFs and the RhB solution, different crystalline phases of MoS2 NFs would result in either adsorption or piezo-catalytic effects toward the organic dye. The results evident that the cationic dye is adsorbed on the surfaces of the 1T MoS2 NFs; however, the few-layer 2H MoS2 NFs generate a considerable quantity of hydroxyl species for degrading RhB molecules through the mechanical-force-induced piezo-potential. Figure 1

(Poster Award - 3rd Place) Photocatalysis of TiO2 Nanosheets Prepared by the Cellulose Nanofiber Template

Two-dimensional material inspired tremendous research interest by its unique structure and specific property different from bulk material, which could benefit various applications such as optics, electronics, and chemistry. However, most documented processes for 2D materials are complicated with a lengthy process. We introduced the cellulose nanofiber (CNF) extracted from agricultural waste rice straws, which inherently possesses many functional groups, e.g., hydroxyl group, and carboxylate group, making it a terrific template method candidate. Besides, aerogel composed of cellulose nanofiber provides many surface and layered structures that facilitate the adhesion of titanium isopropoxide to form a uniform coating layer, which hydrolyzed to TiO2. The cellulose nanofiber serves as a template and could be removed entirely in an easy thermal process by thermogravimetric analysis; meanwhile, we can transform the original amorphous TiO2 nanosheet into an anatase phase which is flavored in the photocatalyst field. Atomic force microscopy (AFM) results spotted a stacked ultrathin TiO2 nanosheet with a thickness of less than 5 nm for each layer, and the lateral size could reach micron size. For the RhB dye degradation test, TiO2 nanosheets could decompose the 10 ppm RhB solution within 30 mins with a reaction rate of 0.065 min-1. In conclusion, we combine the CNF template and hydrolysis process, proposing a simple 2D TiO2 nanosheets

Dual-functional, highly efficient CaIn2S4/PDA@SnO2 photocatalyst with Z-Scheme for photocatalytic hydrogen production from water splitting and organic pollutant degradation

Heterojunction can be used to develop semiconductor catalysts with high photocatalytic activity. In this work, a Z-Scheme CaIn2S4(CIS)/PDA@SnO2 photocatalyst was successfully synthesized. Firstly, SnO2 hollow nanospheres were prepared by hydrothermal method. On this basis, SnO2 hollow nanospheres wrapped by polydopamine (PDA) were obtained via self-polymerization of dopamine. Finally, the CIS/PDA@SnO2 composites were synthesized via a one-step oil bath method. The heterojunction has successfully achieved effective separation of electron-hole pairs. PDA acted as a photosensitizer and an electron transfer medium in the heterojunction. Multiple characterization techniques such as XRD, SEM, TEM, BET, XPS, PL, UV–vis DRS, EPR and photoelectrochemical measurements were used for material structure and performance analysis. The photocatalytic performance of the photocatalysts was tested by photocatalytic hydrogen production from water splitting and RhB solution degradation. A flower-like close contact between CaIn2S4 and PDA@SnO2 interfaces can be obviously observed via SEM and TEM images. The band gap energies (Eg) of CaIn2S4 and PDA@SnO2 are 2.06 eV and 3.74 eV. CaIn2S4/PDA@SnO2-1(CPS-1) exhibits stronger light absorption together with lower transfer resistance compared to other samples. CPS-1 showed excellent photocatalytic hydrogen production and RhB degradation performance. Furthermore, the results of active species capture experiments, Mott-Schottky curve, XPS measurement and other tests show that it is logical to use the Z-Scheme charge mobility process to explain the better photocatalytic activity of the CIS/PDA@SnO2 composite. This work will present an efficient option for the fabrication of Z-Scheme heterojunctions and possibly further develop a new avenue for the control of the structure of semiconductor photocatalysts.

Fabrication of WO3 photocatalyst by plasma assisted ball milling under different discharge atmospheres

A convenient method for producing single oxide WO3-x at room temperature through plasma milling was reported, resulting in a highly efficient visible-light photocatalyst. By altering the discharge atmosphere during plasma milling from ammonia and nitrogen to argon, the color of the milled monoclinic WO3 powders deepens from blue to dark blue, indicating an increased concentration of oxygen vacancies. The morphological and structural properties of the monoclinic WO3 powders, prepared using different ball milling techniques, are characterized using XRD, SEM, TEM, Raman, XPS, EPR, and UV–vis. These results reveal that plasma milling leads to a higher surface area, increased presence of oxygen vacancies, and more defects compared with conventional milling, resulting in a greater number of more reactive sites and a larger contact area between monoclinic WO3 nanoparticles and RhB solution. Consequently, monoclinic WO3 samples fabricated through Ar-P-milling exhibit the highest photocatalytic activity. This is attributed to the reduction of the WO3−x band gap to 2.28 eV by Ar-P-milling with high oxygen vacancies. This lower bandgap markedly improves the light utilization rate, thereby enhancing the overall photocatalytic efficiency. The Ar-P-milled WO3 shows the highest degradation rate constant of 0.037 min−1, which is 4 times higher than that of pure monoclinic WO3.

Study on the microstructural evolution and photocatalytic mechanism of (Au)/PCN photocatalyst

In this paper, the microstructure evolution of polymeric carbon nitride was investigated and Au ions was used to improve its photocatalytic efficiency. Their structures were investigated by FT-IR, XPS, XRD, SEM and TEM. Their specific surface area and aperture distribution were measured by BET. Meanwhile, the energy band structure and electron-hole separation efficiency were analyzed by UV–Vis and PL spectroscopy. In addition, the photocatalytic performance of the photocatalysts was assessed by photocatalytic degradation of RhB and photocatalytic hydrogen evolution. The results showed that 600-PCN possessed the best photocatalytic performance, with a degradation rate of 46.92 % in 150 min. What's more, the degradation rate of RhB solution by 2 % Au/PCN reached 47.88 %, which was 2.17 times higher than that of 550-PCN (22.01 %). During the degradation process, h+ oxidatively degrade RhB. The hydrogen production rate of 2 % Au/PCN was about 11.658 μmol/g/h, which was 41.23 times higher than that of 550-PCN (0.282 μmol/g/h).

Construction of interfacial synergistic effect AlN/g-C3N4 2D/2D Z-type heterojunction for high-performance and stable visible-light photocatalytic removal of Rhodamine B and tetracycline

This study featured the synthesis and characterization of a highly effective AlN/g-C3N4 composite photocatalyst using a combination of physical grinding and calcination methods. The composite material exhibited a unique two-dimensional/two-dimensional (2D/2D) structure, with flocculent g-C3N4 uniformly coated on the surface of AlN. A series of characterization techniques including FE-SEM, TEM, XRD, FT-IR and XPS committed the successful formation of the AlN/g-C3N4 heterostructure. The AlN/g-C3N4 composite demonstrates the improved catalytic efficiency compared to pure AlN, which can be evidenced by its exceptional photocatalytic degradation performance under visible-light irradiation. The AlN/g-C3N4 composite materials exhibited significant degradation of (RhB) and tetracycline (TC). Especially, the 20 % AlN/g-C3N4 component showed particularly remarkable adsorption and catalytic activity, with 98.4 % degradation of RhB solution in 25 min and 83.0 % degradation of TC solution in 60 min, with efficiencies about 3.9 and 6.8 times higher than that of pure g-C₃N4, attributed to its larger specific surface area and a smaller pore structure compared to pure g-C3N4. Moreover, the AlN/g-C3N4 heterojunction exhibited outstanding stability and reusability throughout four consecutive experimental cycles, highlighting its long-lasting and reliable performance. FT-IR analysis confirmed the structural stability of the composite material, and the free radical experiments revealed the dominant role of the holes (h+) free radical in the photocatalytic reaction. Additionally, UV–vis diffuse reflectance and Mott-Schottky tests supported the Z-type charge carrier transport route as the photocatalytic mechanism. Overall, the AlN/g-C3N4 heterostructure have shown great potential as a highly efficient photocatalyst for pollutant degradation, due to its unique structure, high specific surface area, and effective charge carrier separation, making it a promising material for diverse environmental applications.