Growth of g-C3N4 on mesoporous TiO2 spheres with high photocatalytic activity under visible light irradiation
journal contribution
posted on 2024-11-02, 05:53authored byXiaofang Chen, Jing Wei, Rujing Hou, Yan Liang, Zongli Xie, Yonggang Zhu, Xiwang Zhang, Huanting Wang
Growth of graphitic carbon nitride on mesoporous TiO 2 spheres with well-controlled structures was achieved by melt-infiltrating dicyandiamide (DICY). The molten DICY diffused into the porous structure of TiO 2 , and g-C 3 N 4 was produced inside the mesopores formed by packing of TiO 2 nanoparticles at higher temperature, resulting in a better fused g-C 3 N 4 -TiO 2 heterostructure. The formation of a strong interfacial connection between TiO 2 and g-C 3 N 4 by this preparation method greatly improved the separation efficiency of photo-generated electrons and holes. TiO 2 /g-C 3 N 4 composites exhibited much higher photocatalytic activity than TiO 2 and g-C 3 N 4 towards the degradation of Rhodamine B under both UV light and UV-vis light irradiation. The heterostructured combination provided a synergistic photocatalytic activity through an efficient electron transfer process. Based on the experimental results, a possible mechanism for the improved photocatalytic performance was proposed. The factors affecting the photocatalytic activity were also discussed based on the result of structure analysis, optical and photoelectric characteristics, and photocatalytic reactions.