The enhanced photocatalytic performance of the amorphous carbon/MgO nanofibers: Insight into the role of the oxygen vacancies and 1D morphology

High performance, recycling easily, green, and cheap are necessary for the practical application of photo -catalysts. Here, a novel composite of amorphous carbon and magnesium oxide nanofibers (C/MgO-F-600) is fabricated by an electrospinning method. Instead of organic solvents, H2O is employed as the electrospinning solvent, which is environmentally friendly. The degradation efficiency of C/MgO-F-600 to methylene blue (MB) is 91.51%, which is about 1.9 times higher than that of MgO-600 nanosheets. The enhanced photocatalytic activity of the C/MgO-F-600 is mainly ascribed to the moderate content of oxygen vacancies and 1D nanofiber structure, resulting in the higher photocurrent density, photocatalytic activity and the lowest bandgap and impedance. This work provides the feasibility for the improvement of wide bandgap photocatalysts (MgO) in practical applications.

Automated summary

A novel composite of amorphous carbon and magnesium oxide nanofibers (C/MgO-F-600) was fabricated by an electrospinning method, possessing high performance, easy recycling, green characteristics, and low cost. The degradation efficiency of C/MgO-F-600 for methylene blue (MB) is 91.51%, which is approximately 1.9 times higher than that of MgO-600 nanosheets. The enhanced photocatalytic activity of C/MgO-F-600 is attributed to the moderate content of oxygen vacancies and 1D nanofiber structure, resulting in higher photocurrent density, photocatalytic activity, and the lowest bandgap and impedance. This work demonstrates the feasibility of improving practical applications of wide bandgap photocatalysts (MgO).