Nitrogen doped TIO2/g-C3N4 nanocatalyst for photodegradation of methylene blue dye

Abstract

In this study, the ethanol dispersion procedure was implemented to prepare the g-C₃N₄/N–TiO₂ nanocatalyst structure. Sol-gel synthesis is utilized for synthesizing N–TiO₂ and g-C₃N₄ via urea thermal decomposition. Physicochemical properties of produced photocatalysts were revealed using PL imaging, UV–vis DRS, XRD, FTIR, SEM, BET, and TEM. Evaluation of photocatalytic activity of synthetic photocatalysts by exposure to sunlight and degradation of methylene blue (MB) dye. g-C₃N₄/N–TiO₂ NCs showed excellent photocatalytic activity, reaching 96 % MB degradation efficiency in 80 min. g-C₃N₄ and N–TiO₂ doped form a nanocomposite structure that increases photocatalytic activity, affecting charge separation performance and service life. The system also exhibits the ability to collect visible and ultraviolet light. Even after four consecutive cycles, the efficiency of the MB is still above 85 %. Capture experiments showed that the decomposition of MB was mainly caused by h⁺ and O2²⁻ radicals. The results of kinetic investigations indicate that the degradation rate of g-C₃N₄/N–TiO₂ nanocomposites surpasses that of N–TiO₂ nanoparticles.