Designing a heterostructure photocatalyst material having high porosity with enhanced specific surface area and optoelectrical properties is one of the significant approaches toward the decontamination of hazardous organic contaminants and water-splitting reactions under visible light irradiation. In this study, a silver-nanoparticle-decorated g-C3N4 (ACN)/MIL-53­(Fe) photocatalyst was developed having an improved surface area by a facile solvothermal approach. The as-synthesized pure and composite materials are characterized by X-ray diffraction, Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy, scanning electron microscopy, transmission electron microscopy, X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy, and photoluminescence analysis. It is observed that 15% of ACN-20 modified MIL-53 (MACN-15) exhibits improved charge separation between the photoinduced electron and hole pairs which eventually shows the highest photocatalytic applications in rhodamine B (RhB) degradation, photocatalytic Cr­(VI) reduction, and photocatalytic hydrogen evolution from water splitting. The optimal photocatalyst (MACN-15) shows 98% of RhB degradation and 95% of Cr­(VI) reduction efficiency within 60 min of visible light irradiation. The MACN-15 nanocomposite also exhibits a superior rate of H2 evolution (2.891 mmol g–1 h–1) with a specific conversion efficiency of 14.8%. A possible mechanism is also predicted for the MACN-15 nanocomposite in multimodal photocatalytic applications.

The carcinogenic heavy metals and aromatic organic compounds linger as wastewater pollutants implying great menace to the ecological balance. To solve these environmental pollution problems, the photocatalytic process is an...

No abstract

The photocatalytic degradation of economically hazardous compounds has been thoroughly researched with the aid of numerous photocatalysts and techniques. The efficient degradation and removal of lingering contaminants from the aquatic environment are still difficult to accomplish. Hereby, we present a sulfur-doped reduced graphene oxide (SrGO) enwrapped magnetic porous nickel ferrite (NiFe 2 O 4 )/copper sulfide (CuS) nanocatalyst (SrGO/NiFe 2 O 4 /CuS:GNFC) constructed through a facile solvothermal-reflux route. Under exposure to visible light, the fabricated GNFC photocatalyst exhibits outstanding catalytic activity for the photodegradation of tetracycline hydrochloride (TCH) and photoreduction of 4-nitrophenol (4-NP). Diverse analytical techniques were used to characterize the fabricated nanomaterials. In terms of photocatalytic activity, GNFC-13 outperforms all other nanocatalysts in eliminating model pollutants. According to our findings, 94.39% of TCH (80 ppm) can be degraded within 90 min, and 90.62% of 4-NP (30 ppm) can be reduced within 120 min by the GNFC-13 nanohybrid, which is significantly better than that of pristine and doublet nanomaterials, respectively. The explanations for the improved photocatalytic efficiency of GNFC nanocatalysts are due to the porous structures of the magnetic NiFe 2 O 4 and the SrGO surface, which can offer a lot of adsorption sites and, therefore, advantageous for the adsorption enrichment of harmful pollutants. Additionally, in situ photocatalytic degradation and adsorption enrichment working together synergistically may lead to improved pollutant removal efficacy. The Raman and XPS analytical techniques verified the formation of SrGO in the GNFC nanocomposites. The free-radical trapping studies, terephthalic acid test, nitroblue tetrazolium test, and electron spin resonance test disclosed that holes (h + ), hydroxy radicals ( • OH), electrons (e − ), and superoxide radicals ( • O 2− ) are cardinal reactive species in the photocatalytic system. A Z-scheme charge transfer channelization mechanism of the as-produced photocatalyst is explained in light of the various experimental findings. The developed Z-scheme system has led to the increase of catalytic activity due to the effective photoinduced carrier separation, wider photoabsorption range, high hole oxidation capacity, and high electron reduction power. In addition, the GNFC photocatalyst ability to catalyze TCH and 4-NP shows no discernible decline even after five recycles. Moreover, the GNFC nanocatalysts are magnetically detachable for recycling. Thus, this study reveals that the as-obtained GNFC nanocatalysts have an excellent prospect for environmental remediation of toxic pollutants.

No abstract