g-C3N4 /Metal Oxide Quantum Dots Hybrid for Enhanced Photocatalytic Activity

Abstract

Because of industrial revolution, there has been a notable increase in global energy utilization and environmental pollution. At present, non-renewable energy sources meet the major energy requirements. Renewable energy sources are effective energy materials because of competitive cost and unlimited raw materials available. Because of its effectiveness, it is gaining more interest over time. The world is facing a serious energy and environmental crisis, and the organic waste from industrial wastes is damaging to the environment. Water pollution, an important type of pollution, is a cause of various potential acute health diseases and potential chronic health diseases. Pollutants must be decomposed or disintegrated before they are disposed of so that they are not harmful to humans and the environment. Various methods for the removal of toxic organic pollutants include biological, physical and chemical methods. Among the existing chemical methods, advanced photocatalytic oxidation process is an effective approach for degrading a large number of stable organic pollutants. Semiconductor based photocatalysts are commonly used materials for photo degradation of different organic pollutants and chronic dyes. In this study, SnO2/g-C3N4 Quantum dots (QDs) hybrids were being prepared using facile hydrothermal synthesis process, with purpose to enhance photocatalytic performances. The structural and morphological features of SnO2/g-C3N4 were successfully conducted by using X-ray diffraction (XRD), Fourier transformed infrared spectroscopy (FTIR), X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy (XPS), scanning electron microscopy (SEM) and transmission electron microscopy (TEM), respectively. The photocatalytic performance of the SnO2/g-C3N4 hybrids was evaluated for the degradation of rhodamine B (RhB), and an enhanced activity is observed attesting synergetic effect between SnO2 QDs and C3N4 layers. It was found that the ratio of SnO2 to g-C3N4 in the hybrids critically affects the photocatalytic activity, with 1:2 showing best performance. The present study provides simple and facile method to highlights the promising contribution of SnO2/g-C3N4 hybrid in eliminating waste water contaminants and environmental issues.