A photocatalyst prepared by NiCo2O4/CNQD-modified carbon fabric heterojunction enhanced visible-light-driven photocatalytic degradation of methyl orange

Herein, we report a novel photocatalyst cobalt nickel tetroxide (NiCo2O4)/g-C3N4 quantum dot (CNQD) heterojunctions on a carbon cloth (CC). NiCo2O4 nanosheets and NiCo2O4/CNQDs were grown on the carbon cloth (CC) by electrodeposition and calcination. The addition of CNQDs greatly improved the photocatalytic activity under visible light. Under the irradiation of visible light, NiCo2O4/CNQDs/CC and NiCo2O4/CC photocatalyst could remove 93% and 59% methyl orange (MO) in 60 minutes, respectively. After 5 cycles, the photocatalyst activity did not decrease distinctly. High-performance CC photocatalysts have broad application prospects in wastewater treatment, and material design strategies can be extended to other major fields, such as water purification, self-purification, antifouling and sterilization.

Automated summary

In this study, a novel photocatalyst NiCo2O4/CNQDs/CC was synthesized, and the addition of CNQDs was found to greatly enhance the photocatalytic activity under visible light.