Visible Light Induced g-C3N4/TiO2/Ti3C2 Ternary Z-scheme Heterojunction Photocatalyst for Efficient Degradation

Abstract Photocatalytic degradation has received considerable emphasis since it shows significant possibilities in environmental pollution. In this work, ternary Z-scheme heterojunction g-C 3 N 4 /TiO 2 /Ti 3 C 2 photocatalysts are designed and fabricated. The Z-scheme heterojunctions formed on the surfaces of g-C 3 N 4 and TiO 2 dramatically modify the photocatalytic performances of the compound under illumination. Meanwhile, in this process, multilayer Ti 3 C 2 , as the transport medium of Z-scheme heterojunction, is tightly bonded to TiO 2 generated by hydrothermal oxidation and g-C 3 N 4 with large specific surface area, which effectively facilitates the space charge separation and depresses the charge recombination. When the addition amount of TiO 2 /Ti 3 C 2 is 80 mg and calcined at 450 ℃ for 4 h, g-C 3 N 4 /TiO 2 /Ti 3 C 2 has the greatest photocatalytic performance, and the kinetic constant for degradation methyl orange (MO) was about 3.62 times that of g-C 3 N 4 and 14.55 times that of Ti 3 C 2 , respectively. This work illustrates that g-C 3 N 4 /TiO 2 /Ti 3 C 2 has outstanding potential and offers novel insights for designing and synthesizing new ternary heterojunction materials. Graphical Abstract