A plasmonic Z-scheme three-component photocatalyst g-C3N4/Ag/LaFeO3 with enhanced visible-light photocatalytic activities

A three-component plasmonic Z-scheme g-C3N4/Ag/LaFeO3 photocatalyst was prepared via facile photo-reduction deposition and hydrothermal process. The photocatalytic activity of g-C3N4/Ag/IaFeO(3) composite was examined by conducting degradation experiments of RhB and phenol under visible light. The three-component heterojunction exhibited a high photocatalytic activity, far exceeding those of the single- and two-component systems, and the content of g-C3N4 impacted the catalytic activity of LaFeO3. Moreover, the mechanism for the enhancement of photocatalytic performance of g-C3N4/Ag/LaFeO3 was also investigated by the investigations of photoluminescence (PL) spectroscopy, photoelectrochemical measurements and radical trapping experiments. The photocatalytic activity enhancement was attributed to the synergistic effect of g-C3N4, Ag and LaFeO3, especially the effective charge separation cause by established local electric field from surface plasmon resonance effect of Ag metal. In addition, a plasmonic Z-scheme charge transfer photocatalytic mechanism of g-C3N4/Ag/LaFeO3 heterojunction is proposed.