Study on the synthesis of MnOx/CN/Ag composites and catalytic performance in degrading organic pollutants

The novel MnO x /CN/Ag composite was prepared by the precipitation method. The structure and morphology of the material were characterized by X-ray diffraction (XRD), Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy (FT-IR), scanning electron microscopy (SEM), transmission electron microscopy (TEM), and X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy (XPS). Light absorption capacity, charge transfer efficiency, and carrier recombination ability were evaluated using UV–Vis diffuse reflectance (UV–Vis DRS) spectroscopy, electrochemical impedance spectroscopy (EIS), photoluminescence (PL) spectroscopy, and transient photocurrent response (TPR). The photothermal catalytic performance toward toluene and tetracycline hydrochloride (TC) was assessed, and the reduction properties were analyzed by H 2 -temperature programmed reduction (H 2 -TPR). The results show that the MnO x /CN/Ag composite achieves a degradation efficiency of 97% for toluene at 260℃ and a TC degradation efficiency of nearly 80%. No obvious attenuation was observed after 360 min of continuous reaction. The superior catalytic performance and stability of the composite can be attributed to the abundant oxygen vacancies and low reduction temperature. This work not only provides a novel photothermal catalytic material for enhancing VOC degradation but also offers insights into the treatment of multiple environmental pollutants. Graphical abstract