Hybrid multifunctional core/shell g-C3N4@TiO2 heterojunction nano-catalytic for photodegradation of organic dye and pharmaceutical compounds

The pyrolysis of melamine was an effective one-pot method for preparing a nanostructured multifunctional photocatalytic based on core/shell g-C₃N₄@TiO₂ heterojunction. Various techniques entirely characterized these materials: X-ray diffraction (XRD) proved to enhance the as-prepared materials’ crystallinity through the variation of dislocation, strain, and crystallite size with TiO₂ loading. The stacked layered/sheet-like with a smooth surface of the as-prepared samples have been shown via scanning electron microscopy (SEM). Diffuse reflectance spectroscopy (DRS) showed an apparent decrease in the energy bandgap for these nanocomposites with TiO₂ loading. All the prepared materials were subjected to visible photocatalytic applications under the same conditions. The dye model (Methylene Blue, MB), and antibiotic model (Amoxicillin, AMO), was photodegraded using the as-prepared nanocomposites under visible light irradiation. In the recombination reduction among TiO₂ and g-C₃N₄ interfaces, g-C₃N₄ has been effectively utilized as a matrix. Our findings proved that g-C₃N₄@TiO₂ photocatalysts exhibited superior photocatalytic performance. CNT-5 of 2.58 eV bandgap had a higher activity of 99.7 in 50 min for MB and 100% in 20 min for AMO than the other represented photocatalysts in this work. The migration of photogenerated electrons from a g-C₃N₄ to TiO₂ via heterojunction among them as g-C₃N₄ (1 0 1) removes the electrons accumulated on (1 0 1) of TiO₂, improve the photodegradation efficiency. Therefore, the increase in photocatalytic reaction rates, recycling, and the sample’s photostability can be considered the result of successful interactions among the TiO₂ and g-C₃N₄ systems. The suggested photodegradation mechanism of MB and AMO was discussed in detail and compared with previously reported work. Therefore, the photodegradation rate of MB and AMO via CNT-5 composite is 6 and 3 times, respectively, higher than that of g-C₃N₄ under simulated solar irradiation. This research creates a new perspective on the production of nanocomposite materials in the area of treatment of pharmaceutical and dye contaminants.