Construction of g-C3N4/Ti3C2/α-Fe2O3 ternary composite: Synergistic enhancement of photocatalytic performance by Schottky junction/Z-scheme heterojunction-structure and wide light absorption range

Abstract

Semiconductor materials for photocatalysis have been extensively researched in recent years due to their commendable stability and non-toxicity. However, the practical applications of these materials are constrained by their inherent characteristics, such as the rapid recombination of photogenerated carriers and the limited range of light absorption. In this paper, a simple method combining calcination and solvothermal was used to prepare a novel ternary composite material of g-C₃N₄/Ti₃C₂/α-Fe₂O₃. A series of photoelectrochemical tests showed that the ternary composite had excellent photogenerated carrier transfer, separation ability, and a wide range of light absorption. The photocatalytic performance was evaluated using the organic pollutant Methylene blue, Staphylococcus aureus and Escherichia coli as experimental targets. The results indicated that it degraded 50.69% of the Methylene blue and killed 99.22% of Staphylococcus aureus and 98.05% of Escherichia coli within the specified time, demonstrating effective photocatalytic degradation and antibacterial properties. The superior photocatalytic performance is attributed to the effective combination of the highly conductive Ti₃C₂ material, the semiconductor α-Fe₂O₃ with a wide light absorption range, and g-C₃N₄, coupled with the well-matched Z-type heterojunction and Schottky junction within the composite. This research can offer insights for the future development and application of environmentally friendly photocatalytic semiconductor materials.