A Z-Scheme Heterojunction g-C<sub>3</sub>N<sub>4</sub>/WO<sub>3</sub> for Efficient Photodegradation of Tetracycline Hydrochloride and Rhodamine B

The construction of heterojunctions can effectively inhibit the rapid recombination of photogenerated electrons and holes in photocatalysts and offers great potential for pollutant degradation. In this study, a Z-scheme heterojunction g-C<sub>3</sub>N<sub>4</sub>/WO<sub>...

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Main Authors: Yongxin Lu, Shangjie Gao, Teng Ma, Jie Zhang, Haixia Liu, Wei Zhou
Format: Article
Language:English
Published: MDPI AG 2025-03-01
Series:Nanomaterials
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Online Access:https://www.mdpi.com/2079-4991/15/5/410
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author Yongxin Lu
Shangjie Gao
Teng Ma
Jie Zhang
Haixia Liu
Wei Zhou
author_facet Yongxin Lu
Shangjie Gao
Teng Ma
Jie Zhang
Haixia Liu
Wei Zhou
author_sort Yongxin Lu
collection DOAJ
description The construction of heterojunctions can effectively inhibit the rapid recombination of photogenerated electrons and holes in photocatalysts and offers great potential for pollutant degradation. In this study, a Z-scheme heterojunction g-C<sub>3</sub>N<sub>4</sub>/WO<sub>3</sub> photocatalyst was synthesized using a combination of hydrothermal and calcination methods. The photocatalytic degradation performance was tested under visible light; the degradation efficiency of Rh B reached 97.9% within 15 min and that of TC-HCl reached 93.3% within 180 min. The excellent photocatalytic performance of g-C<sub>3</sub>N<sub>4</sub>/WO<sub>3</sub> composites can be attributed to the improved absorption of visible light, the increase in surface area, and the effective separation of photogenerated electron–hole pairs. In addition, after four cycles of experiments, the photocatalytic performance of g-C<sub>3</sub>N<sub>4</sub>/WO<sub>3</sub> did not decrease obviously, remaining at 97.8%, which proved that the g-C<sub>3</sub>N<sub>4</sub>/WO<sub>3</sub> heterojunction had high stability and reusability. The active radical capture experiment confirmed that h<sup>+</sup> and ·O<sub>2</sub><sup>−</sup> played a leading role in the photocatalytic degradation. The Z-scheme heterojunction g-C<sub>3</sub>N<sub>4</sub>/WO<sub>3</sub> designed and synthesized in this study is expected to become an efficient photocatalyst suitable for environmental pollution control.
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series Nanomaterials
spelling doaj-art-3f05eb71847d4acb87a3c4fb969f8a3d2025-08-20T02:59:00ZengMDPI AGNanomaterials2079-49912025-03-0115541010.3390/nano15050410A Z-Scheme Heterojunction g-C<sub>3</sub>N<sub>4</sub>/WO<sub>3</sub> for Efficient Photodegradation of Tetracycline Hydrochloride and Rhodamine BYongxin Lu0Shangjie Gao1Teng Ma2Jie Zhang3Haixia Liu4Wei Zhou5Shandong Provincial Key Laboratory of Molecular Engineering, School of Chemistry and Chemical Engineering, Qilu University of Technology (Shandong Academy of Sciences), Jinan 250353, ChinaShandong Provincial Key Laboratory of Molecular Engineering, School of Chemistry and Chemical Engineering, Qilu University of Technology (Shandong Academy of Sciences), Jinan 250353, ChinaShandong Provincial Key Laboratory of Molecular Engineering, School of Chemistry and Chemical Engineering, Qilu University of Technology (Shandong Academy of Sciences), Jinan 250353, ChinaShandong Provincial Key Laboratory of Molecular Engineering, School of Chemistry and Chemical Engineering, Qilu University of Technology (Shandong Academy of Sciences), Jinan 250353, ChinaShandong Provincial Key Laboratory of Molecular Engineering, School of Chemistry and Chemical Engineering, Qilu University of Technology (Shandong Academy of Sciences), Jinan 250353, ChinaShandong Provincial Key Laboratory of Molecular Engineering, School of Chemistry and Chemical Engineering, Qilu University of Technology (Shandong Academy of Sciences), Jinan 250353, ChinaThe construction of heterojunctions can effectively inhibit the rapid recombination of photogenerated electrons and holes in photocatalysts and offers great potential for pollutant degradation. In this study, a Z-scheme heterojunction g-C<sub>3</sub>N<sub>4</sub>/WO<sub>3</sub> photocatalyst was synthesized using a combination of hydrothermal and calcination methods. The photocatalytic degradation performance was tested under visible light; the degradation efficiency of Rh B reached 97.9% within 15 min and that of TC-HCl reached 93.3% within 180 min. The excellent photocatalytic performance of g-C<sub>3</sub>N<sub>4</sub>/WO<sub>3</sub> composites can be attributed to the improved absorption of visible light, the increase in surface area, and the effective separation of photogenerated electron–hole pairs. In addition, after four cycles of experiments, the photocatalytic performance of g-C<sub>3</sub>N<sub>4</sub>/WO<sub>3</sub> did not decrease obviously, remaining at 97.8%, which proved that the g-C<sub>3</sub>N<sub>4</sub>/WO<sub>3</sub> heterojunction had high stability and reusability. The active radical capture experiment confirmed that h<sup>+</sup> and ·O<sub>2</sub><sup>−</sup> played a leading role in the photocatalytic degradation. The Z-scheme heterojunction g-C<sub>3</sub>N<sub>4</sub>/WO<sub>3</sub> designed and synthesized in this study is expected to become an efficient photocatalyst suitable for environmental pollution control.https://www.mdpi.com/2079-4991/15/5/410g-C<sub>3</sub>N<sub>4</sub>/WO<sub>3</sub> nanocompositephotocatalysisorganic pollutants
spellingShingle Yongxin Lu
Shangjie Gao
Teng Ma
Jie Zhang
Haixia Liu
Wei Zhou
A Z-Scheme Heterojunction g-C<sub>3</sub>N<sub>4</sub>/WO<sub>3</sub> for Efficient Photodegradation of Tetracycline Hydrochloride and Rhodamine B
Nanomaterials
g-C<sub>3</sub>N<sub>4</sub>/WO<sub>3</sub> nanocomposite
photocatalysis
organic pollutants
title A Z-Scheme Heterojunction g-C<sub>3</sub>N<sub>4</sub>/WO<sub>3</sub> for Efficient Photodegradation of Tetracycline Hydrochloride and Rhodamine B
title_full A Z-Scheme Heterojunction g-C<sub>3</sub>N<sub>4</sub>/WO<sub>3</sub> for Efficient Photodegradation of Tetracycline Hydrochloride and Rhodamine B
title_fullStr A Z-Scheme Heterojunction g-C<sub>3</sub>N<sub>4</sub>/WO<sub>3</sub> for Efficient Photodegradation of Tetracycline Hydrochloride and Rhodamine B
title_full_unstemmed A Z-Scheme Heterojunction g-C<sub>3</sub>N<sub>4</sub>/WO<sub>3</sub> for Efficient Photodegradation of Tetracycline Hydrochloride and Rhodamine B
title_short A Z-Scheme Heterojunction g-C<sub>3</sub>N<sub>4</sub>/WO<sub>3</sub> for Efficient Photodegradation of Tetracycline Hydrochloride and Rhodamine B
title_sort z scheme heterojunction g c sub 3 sub n sub 4 sub wo sub 3 sub for efficient photodegradation of tetracycline hydrochloride and rhodamine b
topic g-C<sub>3</sub>N<sub>4</sub>/WO<sub>3</sub> nanocomposite
photocatalysis
organic pollutants
url https://www.mdpi.com/2079-4991/15/5/410
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