Synthesis of Z-scheme g-C3N4-Ti(3+)/TiO2 material: an efficient visible light photoelectrocatalyst for degradation of phenol.
In this study, a photocatalytic material g-C3N4-Ti(3+)/TiO2 nanotube arrays was prepared by a facile and viable approach involving a heat treatment followed by an electrochemical reduction step, and it was characterized using instrumental techniques such as X-ray diffraction pattern, Fourier transform-infrared spectroscopy, X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy, scanning electron microscopy and UV-vis diffuse reflectance spectra. The photocatalytic efficiency of the as-prepared samples towards treating aqueous solution contaminated with phenol was systematically evaluated by a photoelectrocatalytic method and found to be highly dependent on the content of the g-C3N4. At the optimal content of g-C3N4, the apparent photocurrent density of g-C3N4-Ti(3+)/TiO2 was four times higher than that of the pristine TiO2 under visible-light illumination. The enhanced photoelectrocatalytic behavior observed for g-C3N4-Ti(3+)/TiO2 was ascribed to a cumulative impact of both g-C3N4 and Ti(3+), which enhances the photoresponsive behavior of the material into the visible region and facilitates the effective charge separation of photoinduced charge carriers.
Environmental Science Research Institute, Huazhong University of Science and Technology, Wuhan 430074, P. R. China. yanrong_zhang@hust.edu.cn.
Wenjuan
W
Liao
Muthu
M
Murugananthan
Yanrong
Y
Zhang