Novel 2D/2D g-C3N4/Bi4NbO8Cl nano-composite for enhanced photocatalytic degradation of oxytetracycline under visible LED light irradiation

A novel visible-light-responsive 2D/2D g-C3N4/Bi4NbO8Cl nano-composite photocatalyst was hydrothermally synthesized using g-C3N4 and Bi4NbO8Cl. Various characterization techniques were employed to characterize the as-synthesized g-C3N4/Bi4NbO8Cl nano-composites. The photocatalytic efficiency of the nano-composite materials was assessed by the degradation of an emerging pharmaceutical pollutant, oxytetracycline (OTC), under visible LED light irradiation. It was observed that at an optimum mass ratio of 20% (g-C3N4 to Bi4NbO8Cl), the 20g-C3N4/Bi4NbO8Cl nano-composite produced the highest photocatalytic degradation efficiency toward OTC. The photocatalytic degradation of OTC (20 mgL(-1)) by 20gC(3)N(4)/Bi4NbO8Cl (1 gL(-1)), under 60 min of visible LED light irradiation was 87%, which was about 1.2 and 1.8 times higher as compared to that of pure Bi4NbO8Cl and g-C3N4, respectively. This improved performance was associated with the formation of type-II heterojunction, which resulted in better visible light absorption and reduced recombination of photogenerated electron-hole pairs. Moreover, it was observed that after four cycles of degradation experiments, the nano-composite was stable. The results of this work not only demonstrate the construction of 2D/2D g-C3N4/Bi4NbO8Cl nano-composite for successful low-cost and energy-efficient photocatalytic degradation of recalcitrant pollutant but also motivate the production of similar photocatalysts targeting environmental remediation. (C) 2020 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

Automated summary

A novel visible-light-responsive 2D/2D g-C3N4/Bi4NbO8Cl nano-composite photocatalyst was successfully synthesized and demonstrated high photocatalytic degradation efficiency towards oxytetracycline. The improved performance can be attributed to the formation of a type-II heterojunction, which enhances visible light absorption and reduces recombination of photogenerated electron-hole pairs. Additionally, the nano-composite exhibited good stability after multiple cycles of degradation experiments, showing potential for low-cost and energy-efficient environmental remediation applications.