Enhanced photocatalytic activity of Cu2O/g-C3N4 heterojunction coupled with reduced graphene oxide three-dimensional aerogel photocatalysis

A high efficient visible-light-region Cu2O/g-C3N4/RGO composite 3D aerogel photocatalyst was fabricated by a facile self-assemble method. The aerogel composite with various RGO and g-C3N4 to Cu2O weight ratios was synthesized and characterized. The results showed that the Cu2O/g-C3N4 heterojunction absorbed visible light region shifted to a lower energy. In order to improved photocatalytic activity, the Cu2O/g-C3N4 heterojunction loaded on reduced graphene oxide sheets resulted in increasing absorption in the visible light range and improving photodegradation activity. The optimal content of Cu2O in the Cu2O/g-C3N4/RGO aerogel was 40%, which exhibited the effectively synthetized Cu2O/g-C3N4 heterojunction, and greatly improved photocatalytic activity. Moreover, the ternary composite aerogel exhibited 96% (Methylene Blue) and 83% (Methyl Orange) degradation efficiency within 80 min. The combined heterojunction with synergistic effects of this novel composite aerogel account for the excellent photocatalytic efficiency. (C) 2016 Published by Elsevier Ltd.