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Synthesis of g-C3N4/NiO p–n heterojunction materials with ball-flower morphology and enhanced photocatalytic performance for the removal of tetracycline and Cr6+

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Abstract

A novel three-dimensional ball-flower-like g-C3N4/NiO (GN) photocatalyst was firstly fabricated by a simple two-step calcination method for enhanced degradation capability. Our investigation focuses on the construction of p–n heterojunction and specific ball-flower-like structure to overcome limitations of single-component semiconductors, such as low surface area, poor light response and fast recombination of the photogenerated electrons and holes. Detailed photocatalytic experiments revealed that the novel ball-flower-like GN (50%) exhibited much higher activity for the removal of TC and Cr6+ than single g-C3N4, NiO and traditional layered GN. The trapping experiments proved that the superoxide radicals (\( ^{ \cdot } {\text{O}}_{2}^{ - } \)), holes (h+) and electrons (e−)were the main active species in the photodegradation process. Moreover, three different degradation pathways and fourteen intermediate products of TC were also determined by the LC/MS analysis and these intermediates could be further degraded completely into CO2, H2O, \( {\text{NH}}_{4}^{ + } \), carboxylic acids and any other inorganic intermediates. These results will benefit the fabrication of other 3D p–n heterojunction photocatalysts and their potential application in treatment of organic pollutants.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Research Center on New Materials in Hydraulic Structures, Ministry of Water Resources, Nanjing Hydraulic Research Institute, Nanjing, 210029, China

    Dadao Wang, Jian Li, Zhifeng Xu, Yeran Zhu, Guoxin Chen & Zheng Cui

  2. Nanjing R&D High Technology Co. Ltd, Nanjing, 210024, China

    Dadao Wang, Jian Li, Zhifeng Xu, Yeran Zhu, Guoxin Chen & Zheng Cui

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  1. Dadao Wang
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  2. Jian Li
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  3. Zhifeng Xu
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Wang, D., Li, J., Xu, Z. et al. Synthesis of g-C3N4/NiO p–n heterojunction materials with ball-flower morphology and enhanced photocatalytic performance for the removal of tetracycline and Cr6+. J Mater Sci 54, 11417–11434 (2019). https://doi.org/10.1007/s10853-019-03692-5

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