Visible Light-driven Photocatalytic Activity Research Articles

Impact of Co-Doping on the Visible Light-Driven Photocatalytic and Photoelectrochemical Activities of Eu(OH)3.

The microwave-assisted synthesis approach was used to synthesize Eu(OH)3 and Co-Eu(OH)3 nanorods. Various techniques were used to investigate the structural, optical, and morphological features of the Eu(OH)3 and Co-Eu(OH)3 NRs. Both Eu(OH)3 and Co-Eu(OH)3 NRs were found to be hexagonal with crystallite sizes ranging from 21 to 35 nm. FT-IR and Raman spectra confirmed the formation of Eu(OH)3 and Co-Eu(OH)3. Rod-shaped Eu(OH)3 and Co-Eu(OH)3 with average lengths and diameters ranging from 27 to 50 nm and 8 to 12 nm, respectively, were confirmed by TEM. The addition of Co was found to increase the particle size. Furthermore, with increased Co doping, the band gap energies of Co-Eu(OH)3 NRs were lowered (3.80-2.49 eV) in comparison to Eu(OH)3, and the PL intensities with Co doping were quenched, suggesting the lessening of electron/hole recombination. The effect of these altered properties of Eu(OH)3 and Co-Eu(OH)3 was observed through the photocatalytic degradation of brilliant green dye (BG) and photoelectrochemical activity. In the photocatalytic degradation of BG, 5% Co-Eu(OH)3 had the highest response. However, photoelectrochemical experiments suggested that 10% Co-Eu(OH)3 NRs showed improved activity when exposed to visible light. As a result, Co-Eu(OH)3 NRs have the potential to be a promising visible-light active material for photocatalysis.

Magnetically separable and visible light-driven photocatalytic activity of graphene oxide based α-Fe2O3 nanocomposite

This work investigates the impact of graphene oxide (GO) on the structural, morphological, optical, and photocatalytic investigations of Fe2O3, an excellent photocatalyst for industrial wastewater treatment. Using the straightforward and inexpensive sol-gel auto-combustion, hummer's method and sonication method, Fe2O3 nanoparticle (NPs), GO nanosheet, and GO-based Fe2O3 (GO/Fe2O3) nanocomposite have been synthesized, respectively. The XRD patterns, Raman spectra, and FTIR spectroscopy were used for the structural analysis, which verifies the single phase hexagonal geometry of Fe2O3 NPs. The average size of the crystallites is seen to have reduced from 50 nm to 44 nm for Fe2O3 and GO/Fe2O3. The SEM along with EDS were applied to investigate the surface morphology and confirm the existence of the elements Fe and O in pure Fe2O3, and C, Fe and O in GO/Fe2O3. From UV–vis absorbance spectra, the decrease in optical band gap (2.5 eV–1.9 eV) caused by GO incorporation has been inferred, as clearly displayed in the Tauc plots. X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy (XPS) confirms the presence of Fe2+/Fe+3 ionic states and large oxygen vacancies in the GO/Fe2O3 nanocomposite. The photocatalytic properties of both materials for the toxic MB (methylene blue) dye photodegradation in an aqueous solution was evaluated while being exposed to sunlight. It makes an excellent choice for wastewater treatment due to the high photocatalytic activity of magnetically separable GO/Fe2O3 nanocomposite for decomposing the MB dye.

Localized surface plasmon resonance-induced bidirectional electron transfer of formic acid adsorption for boosting photocatalytic hydrogen production on Ni/TiO2

Photocatalytichydrogenproduction from formic acid (FA) is a daunting challenge, yet an essential taskforthedevelopmentofhydrogenenergy. In this study, a p-NiO/n-TiO2 heterojunction incorporating 7-nm metallic Ni was fabricated, which demonstrated a remarkable localized surface plasmon resonance (LSPR) effect. Notably, 5 wt% Ni/TiO2 exhibited 1271-fold higher photocatalytic activity (2416 μmol⋅g−1⋅h−1) than TiO2 alone under light radiation at room temperature. The experimental investigations revealed the excitation of distinct components via irradiation by different light sources. Visible light-driven hydrogen production was predominantly influenced by the LSPR-induced hot electrons and holes effects of Ni. Further, FA molecules simultaneously lost and accepted electrons at the Ni0–Ti3+ and Ni0–O2− sites, respectively, generating a bidirectional electron transfer behavior with “valley-shaped” gas-sensitive responses, which was crucial toboosttheactivity. Moreover, the photocatalytic activity was mainly attributed to the heterojunction and defects structure under UV light irradiation, and Ti3+, VOs, and O2− as adsorption sites for FA. Thus, the synergistic interplay among different light sources could effectively boost the photocatalytic hydrogen production performance. Significantly, this research reveals that the LSPR effect of metallic Ni can effectively regulate electron transfer behavior and enhance visible light-driven photocatalytic activity.

SnS2 based SnS2/rGO/g-C3N4 Z-scheme ternary nanocomposites for efficient visible light-driven photocatalytic activity

Novel ternary composite photocatalyst SnS2/rGO/g-C3N4 in a Z-scheme configuration was synthesized using hydrothermal method for the degradation of dye pollutants from the industrial wastes. To enhance photocatalytic effectiveness, we employed Z-scheme architecture by utilizing SnS2 as a semiconductor with the unique electronic properties of rGO and g-C3N4 for promoting efficient charge separation. The synthesized ternary composite materials were characterized by various spectroscopic and microscopic techniques. The photocatalytic activities of these samples were evaluated through the degradation of Methylene Blue (MB) dye under visible light. Notably, the catalysts SnS2, SnS2/rGO, SnS2/g-C3N4, and SnS2/rGO/g-C3N4 exhibited degradation efficiencies of 55%, 57%, 64%, and 86%, respectively, after 70 min. Among these, the ternary composite catalyst of SnS2/rGO/g-C3N4 exhibited enhanced degradation performance. Furthermore, when exposed to visible light, the unique crisscross morphology and Z scheme architecture effectively promote light utilization efficiency, providing ample reactive sites and leading to a higher degradation percentage. Further optimization of experiments for this composite material involved in varying catalyst loadings, dye concentrations, and pH levels. The SnS2/rGO/g-C3N4 composite exhibited optimal degradation performance with 5 mg catalyst in a 25 ppm MB solution within 100 ml. This composite was identified for the first time as an excellent visible light-driven photocatalyst for MB, displaying high degradation efficiencies. These findings emphasize the promising potential of the SnS2/rGO/g-C3N4 ternary nanocomposite for applications in visible light-driven photocatalysis.

Enhanced visible light-driven photocatalytic activity of green synthesized cobalt ferrite nanoparticles

Cobalt ferrite nanoparticles were synthesized through green synthesis using Erythrina variegata leaf extract. The presence of phytonutrients in the Erythrina variegata leaf extract was confirmed by phytonutrient screening analysis. The thermal, structural, optical, functional, chemical, morphological, and compositional properties of prepared nanoparticles were analysed. The crystal violet (CV) and congo red (CR) dyes eliminated from water using CoFe2O4 NPs as an adsorbent, has been reported. The thermal stability of as-prepared samples was studied by TG-DTA and powder XRD analysis exhibits a cubic inverse spinel structure. By using UV–Vis spectroscopy, the lower band gap energy of CoFe2O4 NPs was found to be around 1.86 eV. The relevant FTIR and Raman spectra indicated Fe–O (tetrahedral site) and Co–O (Octahedral site) band, which attributed to the stretching vibration modes. The cubic-shaped and irregular agglomerated particles was examined from SEM images. The existence of all required elements in prepared CoFe2O4 NPs were confirmed by EDX and XPS analysis. Leaching experiment using the seed germination method for CoFe2O4 catalyst was evaluated. Moreover, the effective photocatalytic performance of crystal violet (CV) and congo red (CR) dye adsorption using CoFe2O4 catalyst within 120 min on the effect of pH, dye dosage, exposure time, and kinetic studies under visible light were investigated. The maximum dye removal efficiency of 85.18 % and 79.58 % was observed using 25 mg/L at pH 9 for CV and CR dyes, respectively. Trapping experiments revealed that O2•− is the major active species in the dye degradation. Recycling experiments revealed good stability after three cycles for CoFe2O4 catalyst. As a result, the prepared CoFe2O4 NPs can be utilized as an effective adsorbent for wastewater treatment.

Rational design of g-C3N5/Gd2O3/MoS2 ternary nanocomposite for visible light mediated environmental remediation

Novel heterogeneous photocatalyst has been synthesized using g-C3N5, Gd2O3, and MoS2 to examine visible light-driven photocatalytic activity. Each catalyst was made solely. To begin, g-C3N5 was synthesized from amine substituted triazole compound. Green synthesis was adopted to synthesize Gd2O3 with Cocos nucifera coir extract. The hydrothermal process was employed to synthesize MoS2 nanosheets. To synthesize g-C3N5/Gd2O3/MoS2, the synthesised g-C3N5, Gd2O3, and MoS2 nanocomposite were mixed and ultrasonicated. The prepared catalyst was tested in the photocatalytic degradation of methylene blue. Scavenger studies have also been performed for the degradation process. Various spectroscopic studies were used to analyse the synthesized nanomaterials. The morphological studies and heterostructure formation were analysed by FE-SEM with EDS mapping. The surface charge was studied using the Zeta potential. The PL emission and EIS spectra of the g-C3N5/Gd2O3/MoS2 nanocomposite speculated the increase the charge separation, decreased photogenerated electron-hole pair recombination and photo-induced charge transfer. The g-C3N5/Gd2O3/MoS2 nanocomposite has proved to be an excellent photocatalyst for MB degradation.

Fabrication of Bi0/BiVO4 with enhanced visible light-driven photocatalytic activity

In this study, Bi0/BiVO4 was synthesized by a facile and green strategy using ascorbic acid. Microstructure, morphology, optical properties and photogenerated carriers separation behavior of the samples were investigated. Photocatalytic degradation of rhodamine B (RhB) by Bi0/BiVO4 under visible light irradiation was studied. The results show that carriers separation efficiency and photocatalytic performance of Bi0/BiVO4 are effectively improved compared with the reference BiVO4, photocatalytic property of Bi0/BiVO4 is 3.1 times of that of the reference BiVO4. The enhanced photocatalytic performance of Bi0/BiVO4 is mainly attributed to the surface plasmon resonance (SPR) effect of Bi0 deposited on the surface of BiVO4, which expands the light response range and accelerates the separation of photogenerated carriers. This work provides an instructive reference for preparation of excellent catalysts.

Elemental semiconductor red phosphorus/ZnO nanohybrids as high performance photocatalysts

The solar energy conversion through the photocatalyst for the pollutant degradation is important effort for development of the visible light photocatalysts for the practical application in various filed. In this work, elemental semiconductor red phosphorus/ZnO nanohybrid (Z-Rp) through simple, cost-effective, and sustainable ball milling approach and further studied its visible light driven-photocatalytic activity towards the pollutant degradation under visible irradiation. The prepared Z-Rp were characterized by the various stereoscopic and microscopic technique which shows improvement of the structural, optical, and physical properties of the zinc oxide after addition of the elemental red phosphorous. The Diffuse reflectance spectroscopy and valence band spectra shows the shifting of the energy band towards the visible light region after incorporating of the red phosphorus which are father supported by the visible light degradation process. The optimized Z-Rp nanohybrids displayed the excellent visible light driven photocatalytic activity toward the methyl orange dye degradation as compared to the bare materials, which further prove the optimal reaction parameter could effectively enhanced visible light photocatalytic activity. This easy fabrication process and inexpensive earth abundant Rp compared to the silver and gold-based plasmonic metal, which are also used to enhance the photocatalytic performance of the metal oxide nanoparticles, can be a good and sustainable approach for the solar energy conversion for various application.

Graphatic-C3N4@MoO3 heterostructure synthesis via a facile green route and their visible light-driven photocatalytic activity for the degradation of Rhodamine B dye

Graphatic-C3N4@MoO3 heterostructure synthesis via a facile green route and their visible light-driven photocatalytic activity for the degradation of Rhodamine B dye

Construction of a S-scheme CdS/CuFe2O4 heterojunction with suppressed charge recombination for enhanced visible light-driven photocatalytic activity

Coupling p–n semiconductors to form S-scheme interfacial heterojunction to fabricate a suitable nano-photocatalyst for environmental remediation.

Enhanced visible light-driven photocatalytic activity and stability of novel ternary ZnO/CuO/MoO3 nanorods for the degradation of rhodamine B and alizarin yellow

A novel ternary ZnO/CuO/MoO3 (ZnO/CuO/M) heterojunction photocatalysts with the nanorods morphology was synthesized by facile hydrothermal treatment. The surface morphology as nanorods, optical properties, photogenerated separation/transfer of charge carriers and photocatalytic properties were characterized for all developed photocatalysts. The photodegradation of organic pollutants including rhodamine B (RhB) and alizarin yellow (AY) dyes was studied under the visible light irradiance. The ternary ZnO/CuO/M nanorods revealed improved photocatalytic performance than pristine ZnO, CuO, MoO3 and binary CuO/M composite. Amongst all ternary ZnO/CuO/M photocatalysts displayed the best photocatalytic activity for RhB (97%) and AY (79%) dyes within 120 min, which is 57 times and 64 times higher than that of pristine MoO3. Reactive trapping experiments were also executed qualitatively to perceive the characters of different active species for both dyes degradation. The improved photocatalytic presentation could be credited to the development of the ZnO/CuO/M heterojunction photocatalysts, which is advantageous for efficient fast transfer and separation of the photoexcited charge carriers.

Defect assisted Reactive Oxygen Species generation for photocatalytic degradation of methylene blue by nano-structured zinc oxide synthesized in CTAB medium

Herein, we report facile, room temperature synthesis of undoped zinc oxide semiconductor nanoparticles and their efficient photocatalytic property towards methylene blue dye degradation. Synthesis of zinc oxide nanoparticles was carried out by facile, eco-friendly and cost-effective, CTAB-assisted method using various aliphatic amines (methyl amine, dimethyl amine and n-butyl amine) as bases. The phase purity, structure, crystallinity, morphology and optical properties of the materials obtained with different aliphatic amines were characterized by X-ray diffraction (XRD), scanning electron microscopy (SEM), UV–Vis and photoluminescence spectroscopy investigations. It was proved that the different aliphatic amines used manipulates both photodegradation properties and morphology of the undoped ZnO materials. The nanomaterial synthesized with n-butyl amine showed the highest catalytic degradation due to high absorption (∼40%) in visible region. The presence of oxygen and zinc vacancies were confirmed from the two emission bands under UV excitation in photoluminescence (PL) studies. Visible light-driven photocatalytic activity of the prepared ZnO nanorods was evaluated by measuring the photodegradation of widely used industrial organic pollutants methylene blue, showed good efficiency of the catalytic samples. In this present study, we propose a mechanism involving e-h pair generation through bandgap and ROS generation assisted aptly by the presence of defects, facilitating the photo-catalytic activity towards dye degradation.

Photocatalytic degradation of various antibiotics under visible light irradiation by CdS-doped SiO2@BiOX (X = Br, Cl) prepared by mixed solvothermal method

The disadvantage of high photogenerated electron-hole complexation rate of bismuth oxyhalide-based photocatalysts under visible light irradiation limits its application in photocatalysis. In the present study, we prepared CdS@SiO2@BiOX (X = Cl, Br) photocatalysts with Z-scheme energy band structure by depositing cadmium sulfide. XRD, XPS, and SEM results showed that cadmium sulfide nanoparticles were deposited on BiOX nanosheets. Z-scheme CdS@SiO2@BiOX (X = Cl, Br) showed better visible degradation of OFL and TCH than SiO2@BiOX with visible light-driven photocatalytic activity. The radical capture experiments showed that O2− was the main active substance for the degradation of organic pollutants on CdS@SiO2@BiOCl. In addition, the Z-scheme structure of CS@SBX was determined by photoelectrochemical measurements and band potential calculations. CdS@SiO2@BiOX (X = Cl, Br) as an efficient visible-light-driven active catalyst for pollutant removal and environmental remediation.

CuO-decorated ZnO nanosheets with enhanced dielectric characteristics and visible light-driven photocatalytic activity towards organic pollutants

CuO-decorated ZnO nanosheets with enhanced dielectric characteristics and visible light-driven photocatalytic activity towards organic pollutants

Defective WO3 nanoplates controllably decorated with MIL-101(Fe) nanoparticles to efficiently remove tetracycline hydrochloride by S-scheme mechanism

Here, a series of S-scheme hybrid MIL-101(Fe)/WO3 samples were designed and prepared by tightly immobilizing MIL-101(Fe) nanoparticles on the surface of WO3 nanoplates via a simple solvothermal reaction. The in situ loading of MIL-101(Fe) promoted charge separation because of the successful construction of the S-scheme, significantly enhancing the photocatalytic activity to efficiently remove tetracycline hydrochloride (TCH). This smart structural design endowed the synthetic MIL-101(Fe)/WO3 hybrid sample with highly efficient visible light-driven photocatalytic activity and good photostability. The optimized MIL-101(Fe)/WO3(1:1) hybrid photocatalyst exhibited the highest photocatalytic efficiency with a photodegradation efficiency of up to 93.8%. Dissimilar to certain reports, the photocatalytic activity over hybrid MIL-101(Fe)/WO3 samples was majorly driven by photogenerated holes (h+). In addition, the S-scheme photocatalytic mechanism was fully demonstrated by systematic characterizations including active species capture experiments and electron paramagnetic resonance analyses. This study sheds light on the design and synthesis of S-scheme hybrid photocatalysts for highly efficient applications of photocatalysis for removing TCH.

Decorating 2D Ti3C2 on flower-like hierarchical Bi2WO6 for the 2D/2D heterojunction construction towards photodegradation of tetracycline antibiotics

Constructing 2D/2D heterojunction in traditional metal oxide photocatalyst is considered to be a practical strategy for boosting visible light-driven photocatalytic activity remarkably. This work fabricated 2D/2D heterojunction by decorating 2D Ti3C2 on nanosheet units in 3D flower-like Bi2WO6 hierarchical structure and significantly improved efficiency of photocatalysis degradation of tetracycline hydrochloride (TC-HCl) as a model antibiotic. It is possible to contribute to the constructed interfacial connection between [Bi2O2]2+ layer and Ti3C2 as well as the resulting electron dislocation of Bi-O bonds, which extended light harvesting range, improved photo-generated holes oxidation and accelerated charge transfer. The best rate constant degradation of TC-HCl and TOC removal efficiency were achieved on 3 %-Ti3C2/Bi2WO6 sample, which were 7 times and 3.5 times that of original Bi2WO6 sample. To gain more insight details about photocatalytic process, reactive species were also investigated and a logical mechanism of TC-HCl degradation was presented. This work demonstrated an intriguing exploration strategy of photo-degradation catalyst and was expected to promote the environmental application of solar-driven antibiotics degradation technology.

Visible light-driven photocatalytic activity of Cu2O/ZnO/Kaolinite-based composite catalyst for the degradation of organic pollutant

Herein, we design to synthesize a novel Cu2O/ZnO/kaolinite composite catalyst by co-precipitation method. The synthesized composite catalysts were labeled as 5CZK, 10CZK, 15CZK, and 20CZK which represent 5, 10, 15, and 20% of Cu2O, respectively, on ZnO/kaolinite. The photocatalyst samples were characterized with different instruments. Moreover, the methylene blue (MB) dye was used as a target organic pollutant and the degradation was evaluated under visible light irradiation. The highest performance for the degradation of MB was achieved by 10CZK catalyst and degrades 93% within 105 min. However, ZnO (Z), Cu2O/ZnO (CZ), 5CZK, 15CZK, and 20CZK composite catalysts, degrades 28, 66, 76, 71, and 68% of MB dye, respectively. The enhanced degradation efficiency of 10CZK composites catalyst could be due to the higher adsorption properties from metakaolinite and the light-responsive properties of the Cu2O/ZnO samples under visible light. Hence, the resulting composite catalyst could be applicable for environmental remediation.

Visible light-driven photocatalytic activity of wide band gap ATiO3 (A = Sr, Zn and Cd) perovskites by lanthanide doping and the formation of a mesoporous heterostructure with ZnS QDs

Charge carrier recombination and wide band gap energy are still the main challenges in the visible-light-driven photocatalytic applications of titanate perovskites, ATiO3. Herein, three strategies are rationally used to achieve a titanate-based photocatalyst with high photocatalytic performance under visible light. In the first step, SrTiO3, ZnTiO3, and CdTiO3 perovskites were synthesized and their photocatalytic activity was evaluated in the degradation of methylene blue (MB) and bisphenol A (BPA). Then, a dysprosium cation (Dy3+) was doped into an ATiO3 crystalline lattice. Systematic investigations indicate that Dy doping in SrTiO3 and CdTiO3 extends the ligand to metal charge transfer absorption edge to visible wavelengths leading to the activation of doped perovskites under visible light. Higher visible-light-driven photocatalytic performance (73.29% for MB and 52.57% for BPA) and higher total organic carbon (TOC) removal (59.20% for MB and 39.53% for BPA) have been achieved by Dy doped CdTiO3 compared to other photocatalysts. Finally, we prepared a Dy-CdTP/ZnS QD mesoporous type-II heterostructure by the in situ growth of ZnS QDs on a flower-like Dy-CdTP. This design accelerates the separation and transfer of photogenerated electron-hole pairs. The surface area of the Dy-CdTP/ZnS QD heterostructure was ∼11.6 times greater than that of Dy-CdTP, offering a large surface area for the adsorption of organics, and abundant active sites for photocatalytic degradation. Taking advantage of the large surface area and considerable suppressing of the charge carrier recombination, the optimized Dy-CdTP(0.6)/ZnS QD photocatalyst exhibits excellent and stable performance for the degradation of MB (98.25%) and BPA (89.12%) with their considerable mineralization under visible light.

Crystal Facet Engineering and Hydrogen Spillover-Assisted Synthesis of Defective Pt/TiO2-x Nanorods with Enhanced Visible Light-Driven Photocatalytic Activity.

Hydrogen spillover can assist the introduction of defects such as Ti3+ and concomitant oxygen vacancies (VO) in a TiO2 crystal, thereby inducing a new level below the conduction band to improve the conductivity of photogenerated electrons and the visible light absorption property of TiO2. Meanwhile, crystal facet engineering offers a promising approach to achieve improved activity by influencing the recombination step of the photogenerated electrons and holes. In this study, with the aim of achieving enhanced visible light-driven photocatalytic activity, rutile TiO2 nanorods with different aspect ratios were synthesized by crystal facet engineering, and Pt-deposited TiO2-x nanorods (Pt/TNR) were then obtained via reduction treatment assisted by hydrogen spillover. The reduction treatment at 200 °C induced the formation of surface Ti3+ exclusively, whereas surface Ti3+ and VO were formed by performing the reduction at 600 °C. The Pt/TNR with a higher aspect ratio reduced at 200 °C exhibited the highest activity in photocatalytic H2 production under visible light irradiation owing to the synergistic effect of the introduction of Ti3+ defects and the spatial charge carrier separation induced by crystal facet engineering.

Biosynthesis of rod shaped Gd2O3 on g-C3N4 as nanocomposite for visible light mediated photocatalytic degradation of pollutants and RSM optimization

To investigate visible light-driven photocatalytic activity, novel heterogeneous catalysts were constructed employing graphitic carbon nitride (g-C3N4) and gadolinium oxide (Gd2O3). Each catalyst was prepared separately. To begin, melamine was used to synthesize g-C3N4. Gd2O3 was prepared via green synthesis by utilizing Cocos nucifera coir extract as a capping agent. Then the prepared g-C3N4 and Gd2O3 were combined in order to form Gd2O3/g-C3N4 nanocomposite. The sole aim of the fabrication of this nanocomposite is to degrade organic pollutants such as amaranth (AM) and congo red (CR) dye, utilizing visible light. The Gd2O3/g-C3N4 nanocomposite was found to be an efficient catalyst in the degradation of AM and CR dye. The prepared nanocomposite was characterized utilizing various techniques like X-ray diffraction, Fourier transform-infra red (FT-IR), UV–visible diffuse reflectance spectroscopy (UV–Vis DRS) and Photoluminescence emission (PL) spectroscopy. The surface area and the surface charge were examined with the aid of BET analysis and Zeta potential respectively. Scanning electron microscope (SEM) and a Transmission electron microscope (TEM) were used to investigate the synthesized nanocomposite's morphology. In contrast with g-C3N4, Gd2O3 and Gd2O3/g-C3N4 have a larger surface area. The Gd2O3/g-C3N4 nanocomposite's PL emission spectra confirmed the lower electron-hole (e-_h+) pair recombination rate. The Gd2O3/g-C3N4 nanocomposite has proved to be an outstanding catalyst with a degradation efficiency of 95% towards CR. Furthermore, the experiments were optimized using Response surface methodology (RSM). These findings revealed that the dye concentration, pH, and catalyst dosage are important parameters in the photocatalytic degradation process. The high correlation co-efficient for the second order polynomial model demonstrated that the data predicted using RSM was in agreement with the experimental results. This work adds to the understanding of g-C3N4-based rare earth metal oxide nano-photocatalysts for efficient organic pollutant degradation.