Enhanced pyrocatalysis of the pyroelectric BiFeO3/g-C3N4 heterostructure for dye decomposition driven by cold-hot temperature alternation

The BiFeO3/g-C3N4 heterostructure, which is fabricated via a simple mixing-calcining method, benefits the significant enhancement of the pyrocatalytic performance. With the growth of g-C3N4 content in the heterostructure pyrocatalysts from 0 to 25%, the decomposition ratio of Rhodamine B (RhB) dye after 18 cold-hot temperature fluctuation (25-65 degrees C) cycles increases at first and then decreases, reaching a maximum value of similar to 94.2% at 10% while that of the pure BiFeO3 is similar to 67.7%. The enhanced dye decomposition may be due to the generation of the internal electric field which strengthens the separation of the positive and negative carriers and further accelerates their migrations. The intermediate products in the pyrocatalytic reaction also have been detected and confirmed, which proves the key role of the pyroelectric effect in realizing the dye decomposition using BiFeO3/g-C3N4 heterostructure catalyst. The pyroelectric BiFeO3/g-C3N4 heterostructure shows the potential application in pyrocatalytically degrading dye wastewater.

Automated summary

The BiFeO3/g-C3N4 heterostructure catalyst, fabricated via a simple mixing-calcining method, shows significantly enhanced catalytic performance in degrading dye wastewater. By optimizing the content of g-C3N4, the decomposition efficiency of dyes can be improved, with the internal electric field generated during the catalytic reaction helping to enhance the separation and migration of charge carriers for accelerated dye decomposition.