Facile fabrication and enhanced visible-light driven photocatalytic degradation performance of flower-like NiFe-LDH/PCN Z-scheme heterojunction

Constructing Z-scheme heterojunctions represents a highly effective strategy for enhancing photocatalytic performance. In this study, a novel P-doped g-C 3 N 4 (PCN) modulated NiFe-LDH Z-scheme heterojunction photocatalyst (NiFe-LDH/PCN) was fabricated by hydrothermal method. The photocatalytic activity of the obtained NiFe-LDH/PCN was assessed by degrading organic dye Congo red under visible light irradiation. The results indicated that the obtained NiFe-LDH/PCN exhibited exceptional photocatalytic performance, with the optimal sample NiFe-LDH/PCN-3 achieving a 95% CR degradation rate within 90 min. The photocatalytic efficiency was 17 times higher than that of pristine PCN and 4.3 times higher than that of NiFe-LDH alone. The significant enhancement in photocatalytic activity can be attributed to the effective separation and transfer of photogenerated charges, facilitated by the formation of the Z-scheme heterojunction between NiFe-LDH and PCN. The involvement of active species, such as superoxide radicals (·O₂⁻), hydroxyl radicals (·OH), and photogenerated holes (h⁺), was confirmed during the degradation process. The present study provides valuable insights into the design of efficient photocatalysts for environmental applications and highlights the potential of Z-scheme heterojunctions to significantly boost photocatalytic performance.