Preparation of C3N4/montmorillonite composite photocatalyst for effective removal of organic pollutants

Due to the good photocatalytic performance, which ensures the decomposition of pollutants under light, g-C3N4 is considered as an ideal photocatalytic material. Montmorillonite has a high adsorption capacity and layered structure, which has positive effects on increasing the specific surface area of g-C3N4 and avoid its polymerization agglomeration. In this paper, montmorillonite was used as carrier for g-C3N4 to obtain a new photocatalytic composite g-C3N4/Mt. Then the morphological and (micro)structural properties were characterized. The well-characterized materials were evaluated for the photocatalytic activity in degradation of methylene blue and Bisphenol A. The effects of the mass fraction of g-C3N4, light irradiation time, and pollutant concentration on the photocatalytic performance of g-C3N4/Mt composites were studied. Under the optimal experimental plan, the rate of photocatalytic degradation can reach to 99.3% within 120 min. Through the MS spectrum, it can be found that methylene blue molecule were catalysed and degraded into many harmless substances with low-molecular weight. Finally, based on the obtained reaction products, the mechanism by which the pollutants are removed was proposed. This study provides a new strategy to improve the photocatalysis ability of g-C3N4, which is of great significance for a sustainable pollution treatment.