Construction of amorphous-crystalline MoS2/g-C3N4/Co3O4 ternary heterojunctions with flower-like structure for enhanced visible-light photocatalytic degradation performance

The formation of amorphous-crystalline heterojunctions has been recognized as an exceptionally effective strategy for enhancing the separation and transfer of photogenerated charge carriers, thereby improving photocatalytic efficiency. In this study, amorphous-crystalline MoS 2 /g-C 3 N 4 /Co 3 O 4 ternary heterojunctions with a unique flower-like structure were synthesized via the integration of g-C 3 N 4 nanosheets and amorphous MoS 2 onto Co 3 O 4 microspheres with a floral structure using a simple solvothermal method followed by acid treatment. Density functional theory (DFT) calculations revealed that the unique floral morphology, combined with the formation of amorphous-crystalline heterojunctions, facilitates the efficient transfer of photogenerated carriers while simultaneously suppressing the recombination of electron-hole pairs. The optimized MoS 2 /g-C 3 N 4 /Co 3 O 4 (3 %) heterojunction exhibited remarkable photocatalytic performance, achieving 82.1 % degradation of Rhodamine B (5 mg L −1 ) under visible-light irradiation within 90 min. Furthermore, the photocatalyst exhibited excellent stability and reusability, as confirmed through cycling experiments, and efficiently decomposed Rhodamine B and its intermediates into small, non-toxic molecules. This work highlights the successful development of a highly active, recyclable amorphous-crystalline ternary heterojunction with a flower-like structure, providing a novel and efficient strategy for the visible-light-driven removal of organic pollutants.