A one-pot microwave irradiation route to synthesis of CoFe2O4-g-C3N4 heterojunction catalysts for high visible light photocatalytic activity: Exploration of efficiency and stability

• Published in: Diamond and related materials 2020-11, Vol.109, p.108012, Article 108012
• Main Authors: Renukadevi, S., Jeyakumari, A. Pricilla
• Format: Article
• Language: English
• Subjects: Aqueous solutions; Carbon nitride; Catalysts; Catalytic activity; Chemical properties; Chemical synthesis; Cobalt ferrites; CoFe2O4/g-C3N4; Composition; Current carriers; Dyes; Electron microscopes; Heterojunction; Heterojunctions; Heterostructures; Light irradiation; Methyl orange; Nanoparticles; Performance degradation; Photocatalysis; Photocatalytic degradation; Photodegradation; Photoluminescence; Rhodamine; Separation; Visible light; X ray powder diffraction
• ISSN: 0925-9635; 1879-0062
• DOI: 10.1016/j.diamond.2020.108012

In this investigation, a high efficient visible light induced photocatalyst based CoFe2O4/g-C3N4 heterostructure was prepared through a microwave irradiation approach. Pure and various composition of CoFe2O4/g-C3N4 hybrid catalysts were characterized by Powder X-ray diffraction method (PXRD), Scanning electron microscope (SEM), Transmission electron microscope (TEM), UV–visible absorbance, Photoluminescence (PL), Raman and BET surface area analysis to know the physico-chemical properties. The interaction of CoFe2O4 nanoparticles with g-C3N4 nanosheets have reduced the optical band gap of CoFe2O4 to 2.85 eV from 2.35 eV and improve the charge carrier separation process. Photocatalytic activity of the CoFe2O4/g-C3N4 composite was assessed by degrading of methyl orange (MO) and rhodamine B (RhB) in aqueous medium under visible light irradiation. The optimized ratio of CoFe2O4/g-C3N4 (15 wt%. loaded CoFe2O4/g-C3N4) composition show high photocatalytic performance. It could degrade MO up to 93.5% in 60 min under stimulated visible light, which is higher than pure catalysts like CoFe2O4 (45.7%) and g-C3N4 (41.5%). This remarkable improvement can be ascribed to synergistically improved charge carrier separation through spinel type CoFe2O4 support g-C3N4. [Display omitted] •Microwave irradiation method was adopted to synthesize CoFe2O4/g-C3N4 composites.•The CoFe2O4/g-C3N4 hybrid catalyst shows high degradation efficiency of 93.5% (MO).•This is due to prevent the recombination process of electron-hole pairs.