Synthesis of g-C3N4/SmFeO3 nanosheets Z-scheme based nanocomposites as efficient visible light photocatalysts for CO2 reduction and Congo red degradation

In this research work, g-C 3 N 4 /SmFeO 3 nanosheets Z-scheme based nanocomposites were effectively synthesized by employing PVP as a structure-manipulating agent. The comparative investigations proved that g-C 3 N 4 and SmFeO 3 nanosheets have exceptional performances and photocatalytic activities as compared to SmFeO 3 and g-C 3 N 4 nanoparticles. Based on TEM, HRTEM, XRD, DRS, XPS, PL, FTIR, PEC, BET, and FS spectra it is proved that the coupling of CN nanosheets has effectively enlarged the surface area and enhanced the charge separation of SmFeO 3 nanosheets. Compared to pristine SmFeO 3 nanosheets, the most active 3CN-SFOS nanocomposite showed ~ 3.5 times improvement in catalytic activities for CO 2 reduction and Congo red degradation. Adding more, the scavenger tests confirmed that ⋅O 2− and ⋅OH are the most active species for decontamination of Congo red. Finally, our present innovative work will open a novel gateway for the preparation of g-C 3 N 4 /SmFeO 3 nanosheets based Z-scheme nanocomposites and their applications for CO 2 reduction and environment protection. Graphical abstract TOC Diagram:  Schematic representation of the energy bandgaps, photogenerated charge separation, and photocatalytic activities improvement mechanism over g-C 3 N 4 /SmFeO 3 nanosheets Z-scheme based nanocomposites