Enhancement of acid treated g-C3N4Cu2O photocatalytic activity by PEG under visible light irradiation

In this study, g-C 3 N 4 Cu 2 O was successfully synthesized in the presence of PEG-400 surfactant via an acid treatment hydrothermal method and a high-temperature calcination method. The structures and properties of as-synthesized samples were characterized using a range of techniques, such as XPS, TEM, PL and BET. The g-C 3 N 4 Cu 2 O heterojunction exhibits the enhanced photocatalytic performance and high stability. It is revealed that the addition of PEG can promote the heterojunction effect of g-C 3 N 4 Cu 2 O, effectively improving the crystallinity and specific surface area of the photocatalyst, separation efficiency of photocarriers, and light absorption, thus enhancing the photocatalytic performance.