MOF-Derived Mesoporous g-C3N4/TiO2 Heterojunction with Enhanced Photocatalytic Activity

Abstract Here, g-C 3 N 4 /TiO 2 photocatalysts with mesoporous structure and intimate interfacial connection were synthesized via the facile pyrolysis of g-C 3 N 4 /MIL-125 composites. The photocatalytic H 2 evolution reaction was performed to examine the photocatalytic activity of obtained photocatalysts. Under the UV–vis light irradiation, the average H 2 evolution rate of g-C 3 N 4 /TiO 2 sample with optimal g-C 3 N 4 loading content (4.12wt%) was most increased by up to 0.606 mmol·g −1 ·h −1 , a value which transcended that of as-prepared g-C 3 N 4 (0.138 mmol·g −1 ·h −1 ) and mesoporous TiO 2 (0.244 mmol·g −1 ·h −1 ) by a factor of 4.41 and 2.48, respectively. The improvement in photocatalytic activity of g-C 3 N 4 /TiO 2 composites was explained by the synergistic effect between large specific surface area, decreased energy band gap and intimate interface contact. This study demonstrated a new approach for the preparation of binary mesoporous heterojunction photocatalysts. Graphical Abstract