Improving electrochemical and photocatalytic performance of C3N4/poly(thiophene)/poly (3,4-ethylene dioxy thiophene) nanocomposite

Abstract

This study introduces a novel hybrid nanomaterial, C₃N₄-PTh-PEDOT, synthesized through a chemical oxidative technique. The research addresses the need for materials with enhanced catalytic properties and stability for diverse applications. The C₃N₄-PTh-PEDOT material exhibits significant improvements in catalytic performance, suitable for applications such as organic binder-free sources, modifications of glassy carbon electrode (GCE) electrodes, and as a reducing agent-free photocatalyst. The material demonstrates rapid electron transfer and excellent electrochemical stability, thanks to its core–shell structures and the interaction between the conjugated polymers PTh and PEDOT with C₃N₄. This hybrid material achieves 97.47% degradation of methyl blue (MB) in 80 min by minimizing electron–hole recombination, enhancing photocatalytic activity. Additionally, the C₃N₄-PTh-PEDOT-modified GCE enables sensitive detection of oxyfendazole (OFZ) using differential pulse voltammetry, showing a linear response within the concentration range of 0.32 × 10⁻⁷ to 3.7 × 10⁻⁸ M, with a sensitivity of 3.156 × 10⁻⁸ M µA⁻¹ and a limit of quantification of 10.7787 × 10⁻⁸ M µA⁻¹.

Graphical Abstract