In this study, composite
photocatalysts were produced from NiTiO3 and N2-rich precursors (dicyandiamide, melamine,
urea, and thiourea) under N2 flow conditions. The goal
of the study was to investigate the interaction between NiTiO3 and the synthesized g-C3N4. The properties
of the g-C3N4/NiTiO3 (CNT) composites
were different depending on the starting materials. Dicyandiamide
and thiourea created strong connections with NiTiO3 and
resulted in the generation of Ti–N and Ti–O–S
bonds. Urea and melamine, however, had difficulty forming g-C3N4 structures or interconnections with NiTiO3. The Ti–N and Ti–O–S bridges in the
composite photocatalysts led to increased photocatalytic activity
as well as inhibition of the recombination rate. Additionally, the
band diagrams of g-C3N4 prepared from dicyandiamide
and thiourea exhibited positions suitable for the Z-scheme charge-transfer
model with NiTiO3, implying that the composite photocatalysts
were applicable for photocatalytic degradation of organic contaminants
under the visible-light irradiation. Higher reaction rate constants
for the composites prepared with dicyandiamide and thiourea confirmed
the significant role of the Ti–N/Ti–O–S bridge
between g-C3N4 and NiTiO3.