Synthesis of g-C3N4 composite co-doped with CeO2 and sugar cane bagasse charcoal for the degradation of methylene blue under visible light

Herein, an effective solid-state pyrolysis method was employed to synthesize CeO 2 (Ce)/biomass carbon(C)@g-C 3 N 4 photocatalyst , which was then used to degrade methylene blue (MB) with high efficiency under visible light irradiation. After 60 min of visible light irradiation, the MB removal rate of Ce/C@g-C 3 N 4 composite photocatalyst reached 96.8%, while the MB removal rates of CeO 2 and g-C 3 N 4 were only 37.8% and 56.3%, respectively. According to the BET and PL results, the Ce/C@g-C 3 N 4 composite material possesses a specific surface area and a low electron-hole recombination rate. The findings of free radical capture experiments and ESR analysis indicated that electron-holes (h + ) and superoxide radicals (•O 2− ) are the most active groups in photodegradation reactions using Ce/C@g-C 3 N 4 composite. Furthermore, after five consecutive cycles, the photocatalytic activity of the Ce/C@g-C 3 N 4 composite material remained steady. This work provides a facile approach for the fabrication of highly stable Ce/C@g-C 3 N 4 photocatalyst with high photocatalytic activity making it a promising material for the photodegradation of methylene blue under visible-light conditions.