A g-C3N4/MIL-101(Fe) heterostructure composite for highly efficient BPA degradation with persulfate under visible light irradiation

Heterostructured composites with outstanding photocatalytic performance have attracted intense attention because of their great potential for use in environmental remediation. Herein, a facile hydrothermal method to obtain heterostructured composites consisting of graphitic-carbon nitride (g-C3N4) and an Fe-based metal organic framework (MIL-101(Fe)) is reported. The as-prepared hybrids exhibited dramatically improved photocatalytic performance for bisphenol A (BPA) degradation in the presence of persulfate (PS) under visible light irradiation. The apparent rate constant, k, for BPA degradation by g-C3N4/MIL-101(Fe) composites with PS was approximately 8.9 times higher than that obtained with bare g-C3N4. The superior performance arises from the heterojunction formed between MIL-101(Fe) and g-C3N4 with a favourable band position and the excellent PS activation ability of MIL-101(Fe), which not only enables the fast electron transfer from g-C3N4 to MIL-101(Fe) but also accelerates PS activation for SO4- radical production. This work provides an effective way for constructing novel photocatalytic systems with efficient activity for refractory pollutant removal.