title: Facile synthesis of novel CaFe2O4/g-C3N4 nanocomposites for degradation of methylene blue under visible-light irradiation.
abstract: Hybrid organic/inorganic nanocomposites comprised of calcium ferrite (CaFe2O4) and graphitic carbon nitride (g-C3N4) were prepared via a simple two-step process. The hybridized CaFe2O4/g-C3N4 heterostructure was characterized by a variety of techniques, including X-ray diffraction (XRD), Fourier transform-infrared spectroscopy (FT-IR), UV-vis diffuse reflectance spectroscopy (UV-vis DRS), scanning electron microscopy (SEM), transmission electron microscopy (TEM), energy dispersive analysis of X-rays (EDS), X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy (XPS), photoluminescence spectroscopy, electrochemical impedance spectroscopy (EIS), and photoelectrochemical studies. Photocatalytic activity of the prepared samples was evaluated against degradation of methylene blue (MB) under visible-light irradiation. The photocatalytic activity of CaFe2O4 30%/g-C3N4 nanocomposite, as optimum photocatalyst, for degradation of MB was superior to the pure CaFe2O4 and g-C3N4 samples. It was demonstrated that the photogenerated holes and superoxide ion radicals were the two main reactive species towards the photocatalytic degradation of MB over the nanocomposite. Based on the experimental results, a possible photocatalytic mechanism for the MB degradation over the nanocomposite was proposed. This work may provide some inspiration for the fabrication of spinel ferrites with efficient photocatalytic performance.
authors.affiliation: Department of Chemistry, NGM College, Pollachi, Tamil Nadu, India. Electronic address: vlvelu7@gmail.com.
authors.forename: S
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Vadivel
authors.affiliation: Department of Chemistry, PSG College of Technology, Coimbatore, India.
authors.forename: D
authors.initials: D
authors.lastname: Maruthamani
authors.affiliation: Department of Chemistry, Faculty of Science, University of Mohaghegh, Ardabili, Iran.
authors.forename: A
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Habibi-Yangjeh
authors.affiliation: Department of Chemistry, National Institute of Technology, Silchar, Assam, India.
authors.forename: Bappi
authors.initials: B
authors.lastname: Paul
authors.affiliation: Department of Chemistry, National Institute of Technology, Silchar, Assam, India.
authors.forename: Siddhartha Sankar
authors.initials: SS
authors.lastname: Dhar
authors.affiliation: The Noyori Laboratory, Graduate School of Science and RCMS Nagoya University Furo-Cho, Chikusa-ku, Nagoya 464-8602, Japan.
authors.forename: Kaliyamoorthy
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Selvam
keywords: CaFe(2)O(4)/g-C(3)N(4); Heterojunction; Photodegradation; Semiconductor; Visible light photocatalyst