Designing of TiO2/α-Fe2O3 coupled g-C3N4 magnetic heterostructure composite for efficient Z-scheme photo-degradation process under visible light exposures

A novel ternary g-C3N4 coupling with TiO2 and alpha-Fe2O3 composed magnetic nanocomposite was fabricated by facile calcination and hydrothermal process. The chemical, surface and magnetic characterizations of as obtained g-C3N4/TiO2/alpha-Fe2O3 magnetic nanocomposite was explored by various analytical systems. The superior degradation efficiency of magnetic g-C3N4/TiO2/alpha-Fe2O3 ternary nanocomposite is about 95.7% of Rhodamine B (RhB) in 50 min under visible-light exposure. The photocatalytic upgrading performance was recognized to the synergetic interface among TiO2, g-C3N4 and alpha-Fe2O3, with effective separation of electron/hole (e(-)/h(+)) pair's, increases in the redox species and great visible-light exploitation owing to less bandgap. The scavenging species presented in superoxide (.O-2(-)) radicals and photo-holes (h(+)) were played a substantial part and hence establish the Z-scheme RhB dye photo-degradation mechanism. The magnetic gC(3)N(4)/TiO2/alpha-Fe2O3 ternary PCs still maintain the excellent photo-degradation rate (95.7-88.4%) for the RhB dye aqueous solution after five consecutive recycles, which signifies that the great photocatalyst durability, and is more beneficial for wastewater treatment. (C) 2021 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

Automated summary

A novel ternary magnetic nanocomposite composed of g-C3N4, TiO2, and alpha-Fe2O3 was successfully fabricated, demonstrating a high photocatalytic degradation efficiency of 95.7% for Rhodamine B under visible-light exposure. This efficient degradation is attributed to the synergistic interface among the three components in the nanocomposite, leading to effective electron/hole separation, enhanced redox species, and excellent visible-light utilization. Additionally, the magnetic nanocomposite showed great durability with a consistent high degradation rate for Rhodamine B after five consecutive cycles, making it a promising candidate for wastewater treatment.