Fabrication of AgFeO2/g-C3N4 nanocatalyst with enhanced and stable photocatalytic performance

This work reported a novel AgFeO2/g-C3N4 composite with enhanced photocatalytic activity, which was fabricated by a simple precipitation method. The g-C3N4 sheets with thickness of 2-4 nm were successfully loaded on the surface of the AgFeO2 particles. As compared to pure AgFeO2 and pure g-C3N4, the as-prepared AgFeO2/g-C3N4 photocatalysts exhibited superior absorption in the visible-light region and displayed promising visible-light photocatalytic performance in the degradation of organic contaminations both in water and in air. About 94% of Acid red G (ARG) can be degraded by the optimized AgFeO2/g-C3N4 sample, which is similar to 7.5 and similar to 10.7 times higher than that by pure AgFeO2 and pure g-C3N4, respectively. Meanwhile, it can also effectively degrade 87% of gaseous formaldehyde to CO2 within 9 h. The enhanced photocatalytic property and stability of the AgFeO2/g-C3N4 composite can be attributed to its specific nanostructure, effective electron-hole separation and the formation of Z-scheme heterostructure between AgFeO2 and g-C3N4. This work could provide new and helpful insights into the photocatalytic application of Ag-based delafossite materials. Published by Elsevier B.V.