C3N4/GO@MF composites for synergistic Adsorption-Photocatalysis contributions to organic pollutant removal

Aiming to remove the organic pollutant in wastewater, carbon nitride (C 3 N 4 )/graphene oxide (GO) hybrid loaded on three-dimensional (3D) melamine foam (MF) (C 3 N 4 /GO@MF) nanocomposites was constructed, achieving the synergistic adsorption-photocatalysis effect. The macroporous structure of MF provided the efficient mass contact and the light transfer. C 3 N 4 was in-situ polymerized on GO nanosheets, which was deposited on the framework of MF. The uniform distribution of C 3 N 4 /GO inhibited the accumulation of powder catalyst and achieved the high specific surface area, leading to the enhanced adsorption ability. More importantly, the stable interaction between C 3 N 4 and GO facilitated the visible light harvesting and the separation of photo-induced charges. As a result, the effective removal of rhodamine B (RhB) was realized by the synergistic adsorption-photocatalysis effect of C 3 N 4 /GO@MF composite. The visible-light photocatalytic efficiency of C 3 N 4 was further improved by the excellent electrical conduction of GO nanosheets. This work presented the significance of free-standing photocatatalytic composites with 3D framework for the potential application for the removal of aqueous organic pollutants.