Fabricating SnO2 and Cu2O anchored on g-C3N4 nanocomposites for superior photocatalytic various organic pollutants degradation under simulated sunlight exposure

The g-C3N4/SnO2-Cu2O composite photocatalysts (PCs) were successfully synthesized via facile calcination and hydrothermal supported technique. Various analytical techniques including XRD, FT-IR, FE-SEM with EDX mapping, HR-TEM, UV-Vis DRS, PL and EIS spectra were used to exhibit the effective construction of g-C3N4/SnO2-Cu2O composite PCs. The g-C3N4/SnO2-Cu2O heterostructure composite exposed superior visible-light photo-degradation performance of methylene blue (MB) and rhodamine B (RhB) dye could be still reached 90.3% and 94.5% respectively. The upgrading of visible-light absorption, reduced the bandgap, promoting the charge separation ability and also strong-coupling heterostructured interface among g-C3N4 to SnO2-Cu2O, which were accountable for the development of the photocatalytic performance. The photo-degradation rate constant of g-C3N4/SnO2-Cu2O PCs was calculated to be 3.86 folds greater for MB (0.0282 min-1) and 4.68 folds greater for RhB dye (0.0328 min(-1)) compared to pristine g-C3N4, hence verifying its beneficial photocatalyst for cationic and also an anionic dyes removal. However, (OH-)-O-center dot and h(+) are the predominant redox species accountable for the major impact of the MB aqueous dye photo-degradation process. This study delivers a facile and suitable way to make a visible-light active photocatalyst capable property for prospective practical application in environmental protection.

Automated summary

The g-C3N4/SnO2-Cu2O composite photocatalysts showed superior visible-light photo-degradation performance for methylene blue and rhodamine B dyes, with significantly higher degradation rate constants compared to pristine g-C3N4. The effective construction of the composite, with enhanced visible-light absorption and charge separation ability, contributed to its beneficial photocatalytic properties. This study provides a facile and promising approach for developing visible-light active photocatalysts for environmental protection applications.