Journal
CHEMOSPHERE
Volume 263, Issue -, Pages -Publisher
PERGAMON-ELSEVIER SCIENCE LTD
DOI: 10.1016/j.chemosphere.2020.128262
Keywords
Nanocomposites; Photocatalyst; Solar light irradiation; Pulsed laser ablation; Surface plasmon resonance; Methylene blue
Categories
Funding
- Korea Basic Science Institute (National research Facilities and Equipment Center) - Ministry of Education [2019R1A6C1010042]
- National Research Foundation of Korea (NRF) [2020R1I1A1A01065748]
- National Research Foundation of Korea [2020R1I1A1A01065748] Funding Source: Korea Institute of Science & Technology Information (KISTI), National Science & Technology Information Service (NTIS)
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In this study, novel ZnO/Au/graphitic carbon nitride (g-C3N4) nanocomposites were fabricated using a liquid phase pulsed laser process, resulting in enhanced catalytic activity for methylene blue degradation. The synergistic effects between ZnO and g-C3N4, along with the surface plasmon resonance of Au nanoparticles, contribute to the improved photocatalytic performance of the ZnO/Au/g-C3N4 composite.
In the present study, novel ZnO/Au/graphitic carbon nitride (g-C3N4) nanocomposites were fabricated via a facile and eco-friendly liquid phase pulsed laser process followed by calcination. Notably, the approach did not necessitate the use of any capping agents or surfactants. The as-prepared photocatalysts were evaluated by various electron microscopy and spectroscopy techniques. The obtained results confirmed good dispersion of the Au nanoparticles (NPs) on the surface of spherical ZnO particles deposited on the g-C3N4 nanosheets. The ZnO/Au/g-C3N4 nanocomposite exhibited substantially enhanced catalytic activity toward the degradation of methylene blue (MB) under simulated solar light irradiation. In particular, the ZnO/Au15/g-C3N4 composite containing 15 wt% Au displayed a rate constant, which was approximately 3 and 5 times greater than those of pristine g-C3N4 and ZnO, respectively. This improved photocatalytic activity of ZnO/Au15/g-C3N4 was attributed to the surface plasmon resonance of Au NPs and the synergistic effects between ZnO and g-C3N4. The boundary between ZnO/Au and g-C3N4 enabled direct migration of the photogenerated electrons from g-C3N4 to ZnO/Au, which hindered the recombination of electronehole pairs and enhanced the carrier separation efficiency. Additionally, a plausible MB degradation mechanism over the ZnO/Au/g-C3N4 photocatalyst is proposed based on the results of the conducted scavenger study. (C) 2020 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.
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