Improving electrochemical and photocatalytic performance of C3N4/poly(thiophene)/poly (3,4-ethylene dioxy thiophene) nanocomposite

• Published in: Ionics 2024-11, Vol.30 (11), p.7337-7350
• Main Authors: Munusamy, S., Bavani, T., Gnanamoorthy, G., Ramamurthy, K., Kalpana, K., Alotaibi, Majed A.
• Format: Article
• Language: English
• Subjects: Carbon nitride; Catalytic activity; Chemical synthesis; Chemistry; Chemistry and Materials Science; Condensed Matter Physics; Core-shell structure; Electrochemistry; Electrodes; Electron transfer; Energy Storage; Glassy carbon; Nanocomposites; Nanomaterials; Optical and Electronic Materials; Photocatalysis; Reducing agents; Renewable and Green Energy; Shell stability; Stability
• ISSN: 0947-7047; 1862-0760
• DOI: 10.1007/s11581-024-05801-0

This study introduces a novel hybrid nanomaterial, C 3 N 4 -PTh-PEDOT, synthesized through a chemical oxidative technique. The research addresses the need for materials with enhanced catalytic properties and stability for diverse applications. The C 3 N 4 -PTh-PEDOT material exhibits significant improvements in catalytic performance, suitable for applications such as organic binder-free sources, modifications of glassy carbon electrode (GCE) electrodes, and as a reducing agent-free photocatalyst. The material demonstrates rapid electron transfer and excellent electrochemical stability, thanks to its core–shell structures and the interaction between the conjugated polymers PTh and PEDOT with C 3 N 4 . This hybrid material achieves 97.47% degradation of methyl blue (MB) in 80 min by minimizing electron–hole recombination, enhancing photocatalytic activity. Additionally, the C 3 N 4 -PTh-PEDOT-modified GCE enables sensitive detection of oxyfendazole (OFZ) using differential pulse voltammetry, showing a linear response within the concentration range of 0.32 × 10 −7 to 3.7 × 10 −8  M, with a sensitivity of 3.156 × 10 −8  M µA −1 and a limit of quantification of 10.7787 × 10 −8  M µA −1 . Graphical Abstract