Construction of g-C3N4/CdS/BiVO4 ternary nanocomposite with enhanced visible-light-driven photocatalytic activity toward methylene blue dye degradation in the aqueous phase

Herein, the ternary CdS/BiVO4/g-C3N4 (CBG) hybrid semiconductor photocatalyst was prepared via a hydro -thermal technique. The synthesized photocatalysts were thoroughly characterized using powder XRD, XPS, FTIR, SEM, TEM, and UV-DRS to investigate the microstructural, morphological attributes, and optical properties. The photocatalytic activity of the ternary CBG hybrid semiconductor was assessed through the photodegradation of Methylene Blue (MB) aqueous dye under visible light. The outcomes exhibited that the CBG hybrid semi-conductor showed excellent photocatalytic activity (about 94.5% after 120 min) compared to the results ob-tained with the pristine materials or the other composite (CdS/BiVO4). The enhancement of photocatalytic activity can be due to the construction of heterojunctions among g-C3N4, CdS, and BiVO4, which improves charge transfer efficiency and hence favors the degradation of organic dyes. Moreover, the as-prepared photocatalyst showed excellent stability after five cycles, indicating good stability and reusability. Subsequently, a possible photocatalytic mechanism was proposed based on the experimental results. The current investigation provides a promising strategy to promote photocatalytic activity to eliminate waterborne contaminants.

Automated summary

The ternary CdS/BiVO4/g-C3N4 (CBG) hybrid semiconductor photocatalyst was synthesized via a hydrothermal technique and characterized using various techniques. The CBG hybrid semiconductor exhibited excellent photocatalytic activity for the degradation of Methylene Blue (MB) aqueous dye under visible light, with a degradation rate of about 94.5% after 120 minutes. The enhanced photocatalytic activity can be attributed to the construction of heterojunctions among g-C3N4, CdS, and BiVO4, which improves charge transfer efficiency.