Growth of g-C 3 N 4 Layer on Commercial TiO 2 for Enhanced Visible Light Photocatalytic Activity

Abstract EN

Novel visible light photocatalytic graphitic carbon nitride/TiO2 (g-C3N4/TiO2) composite samples were synthesized by heating mixtures of melamine and commercial TiO2(TO) at different weight ratios.

The samples were characterized by X-ray diffraction (XRD), X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy (XPS), transmission electron microscopy (TEM), photoluminescence spectroscopy (PL), Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy (FTIR), and UV-visible diffused reflectance spectroscopy (UV-vis DRS).

Characterization confirms formation of nanocomposites of g-C3N4/TiO2.

At the optimized precursor weight ratio ( m elamine : m TiO 2 = 2.5 ), the samples exhibited highest adsorption capacity and visible light photocatalytic activity, measured by degradation of methylene blue (MB).

Under visible light irradiation, the excited electrons on the surface of g-C3N4 transfer easily to the conduction band (CB) of TiO2 via the well-built heterojunction.

The g-C3N4/TiO2 nanocomposites exhibit enhanced visible light catalytic activity due to increased visible light adsorption and effective separation of photogenerated electron-hole pairs.

These g-C3N4/TiO2 nanocomposites could find broad applicability in environmental protection due to their excellent visible light photocatalytic property and facile, cost-effective preparation process.