Gomathi Ramalingam, Priya Arunkumar, Mashael Daghash Alqahtani, Ahmed M. Elgarahy
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This study successfully synthesized MoS₂, g-C₃N₄, and MoS₂/g-C₃N₄ composites using thermal and microwave-assisted methods, yielding efficient visible-light-driven photocatalysts with potential applications in degrading recalcitrant aniline green (AG) dye. In contrast to much existing research, our work uniquely establishes a systematic relationship between particle size distribution, composite ratio, and photocatalytic activity in MoS₂/g-C₃N₄ composites towards AG dye. Herein, we thoroughly investigated the profound effect of synthesis methods on structural tuning, supported by photocatalytic performance comparison across various composite ratios (1:1, 1:2, and 1:3), providing critical insights into their synergistic mechanisms. A comprehensive suite of advanced techniques were employed to characterize the synthesized materials. The prepared MoS₂ blend structure and layered stacking arrangement for the MoS₂ and bulk-g-C<sub>3</sub>N<sub>4</sub> compounds were revealed by the composite material’s XRD analysis; the sizes of MoS₂, pure bulk-g-C<sub>3</sub>N<sub>4</sub>, and their composites with various ratios of MoS₂/g-C₃N₄ (1:1, 1:2, and 1:3) were 3.07 nm, 7.54 nm, 4.70 nm, 5.10 nm, and 5.66 nm, respectively. Moreover, the MoS₂/g-C₃N₄ composites exhibited superior photocatalytic activity compared to their individual pure components of 20.82%, and 79.65%, for g-C₃N₄, and MoS₂, respectively. Specifically, the MoS₂/g-C₃N₄ composite with a 1:1 ratio demonstrated the highest degradation efficiency of 94.43% after 120 min of visible light exposure, while the 1:2 and 1:3 ratio composites achieved 81.79%, and 64.05% degradation, respectively. The enhanced photocatalytic activity of the MoS₂/g-C₃N₄ composite is attributed to the synergistic interaction between MoS₂ and g-C₃N₄. This interaction facilitates efficient charge separation, reduces electron-hole recombination, and enhances visible light absorption. Moreover, the long-term reusability of the best-performing composite (1:1) over 7 cycles exhibited minor fluctuations (90.7%) with minimal effectiveness loss, offering undeniable evidence of its exceptional stability and practical viability. These findings collectively highlight an innovative design approach and underscore the prospective uses of MoS₂/g-C₃N₄ composites as environmentally friendly and highly stable photocatalysts for wastewater treatment.</p><h3>Graphical Abstract</h3><p>The graphical abstract effectively encapsulates several critical elements of our work. It visually summarizes the overall photocatalytic setup and the general degradation pathway of aniline green (AG) dye, allowing for an immediate grasp of the reaction system. Crucially, it highlights the central role of the MoS₂/g-C₃N₄ composite in facilitating the photocatalytic process, illustrating the proposed mechanism in an easily digestible format. Furthermore, the graphical abstract vividly demonstrates the superior photocatalytic activity of the MoS₂/g-C₃N₄ composites compared to their individual pure components. Specifically, it showcases that the pure g-C₃N₄ and MoS₂ achieved degradation efficiencies of 20.82% and 79.65%, respectively. In stark contrast, the graphical abstract clearly indicates that the MoS₂/g-C₃N₄ composite with a 1:1 ratio demonstrated the highest degradation efficiency of 94.43% after 120 min of visible light exposure, with the 1:2 and 1:3 ratio composites achieving 81.79% and 64.05% degradation, respectively. This visually supports our finding that the enhanced photocatalytic activity is directly attributed to the synergistic interaction between MoS₂ and g-C₃N₄, which facilitates efficient charge separation, reduces electron-hole recombination, and enhances visible light absorption.</p><div><figure><div><div><picture><source><img></source></picture></div></div></figure></div></div>","PeriodicalId":618,"journal":{"name":"Journal of Cluster Science","volume":"36 5","pages":""},"PeriodicalIF":3.6000,"publicationDate":"2025-08-29","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":"0","resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":null,"PeriodicalName":"Journal of Cluster Science","FirstCategoryId":"92","ListUrlMain":"https://link.springer.com/article/10.1007/s10876-025-02879-y","RegionNum":4,"RegionCategory":"化学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":null,"EPubDate":"","PubModel":"","JCR":"Q2","JCRName":"CHEMISTRY, INORGANIC & NUCLEAR","Score":null,"Total":0}
引用次数: 0
Abstract
The escalating impacts of a rapidly changing climate, coupled with a soaring global population and environmentally damaging consumption habits, have converged to create an unprecedented and severe worldwide water scarcity challenge. This dire situation underscores the urgent need for the development and implementation of advanced wastewater treatment systems capable of generating high-quality effluent suitable for various beneficial purposes. This study successfully synthesized MoS₂, g-C₃N₄, and MoS₂/g-C₃N₄ composites using thermal and microwave-assisted methods, yielding efficient visible-light-driven photocatalysts with potential applications in degrading recalcitrant aniline green (AG) dye. In contrast to much existing research, our work uniquely establishes a systematic relationship between particle size distribution, composite ratio, and photocatalytic activity in MoS₂/g-C₃N₄ composites towards AG dye. Herein, we thoroughly investigated the profound effect of synthesis methods on structural tuning, supported by photocatalytic performance comparison across various composite ratios (1:1, 1:2, and 1:3), providing critical insights into their synergistic mechanisms. A comprehensive suite of advanced techniques were employed to characterize the synthesized materials. The prepared MoS₂ blend structure and layered stacking arrangement for the MoS₂ and bulk-g-C3N4 compounds were revealed by the composite material’s XRD analysis; the sizes of MoS₂, pure bulk-g-C3N4, and their composites with various ratios of MoS₂/g-C₃N₄ (1:1, 1:2, and 1:3) were 3.07 nm, 7.54 nm, 4.70 nm, 5.10 nm, and 5.66 nm, respectively. Moreover, the MoS₂/g-C₃N₄ composites exhibited superior photocatalytic activity compared to their individual pure components of 20.82%, and 79.65%, for g-C₃N₄, and MoS₂, respectively. Specifically, the MoS₂/g-C₃N₄ composite with a 1:1 ratio demonstrated the highest degradation efficiency of 94.43% after 120 min of visible light exposure, while the 1:2 and 1:3 ratio composites achieved 81.79%, and 64.05% degradation, respectively. The enhanced photocatalytic activity of the MoS₂/g-C₃N₄ composite is attributed to the synergistic interaction between MoS₂ and g-C₃N₄. This interaction facilitates efficient charge separation, reduces electron-hole recombination, and enhances visible light absorption. Moreover, the long-term reusability of the best-performing composite (1:1) over 7 cycles exhibited minor fluctuations (90.7%) with minimal effectiveness loss, offering undeniable evidence of its exceptional stability and practical viability. These findings collectively highlight an innovative design approach and underscore the prospective uses of MoS₂/g-C₃N₄ composites as environmentally friendly and highly stable photocatalysts for wastewater treatment.
Graphical Abstract
The graphical abstract effectively encapsulates several critical elements of our work. It visually summarizes the overall photocatalytic setup and the general degradation pathway of aniline green (AG) dye, allowing for an immediate grasp of the reaction system. Crucially, it highlights the central role of the MoS₂/g-C₃N₄ composite in facilitating the photocatalytic process, illustrating the proposed mechanism in an easily digestible format. Furthermore, the graphical abstract vividly demonstrates the superior photocatalytic activity of the MoS₂/g-C₃N₄ composites compared to their individual pure components. Specifically, it showcases that the pure g-C₃N₄ and MoS₂ achieved degradation efficiencies of 20.82% and 79.65%, respectively. In stark contrast, the graphical abstract clearly indicates that the MoS₂/g-C₃N₄ composite with a 1:1 ratio demonstrated the highest degradation efficiency of 94.43% after 120 min of visible light exposure, with the 1:2 and 1:3 ratio composites achieving 81.79% and 64.05% degradation, respectively. This visually supports our finding that the enhanced photocatalytic activity is directly attributed to the synergistic interaction between MoS₂ and g-C₃N₄, which facilitates efficient charge separation, reduces electron-hole recombination, and enhances visible light absorption.
期刊介绍:
The journal publishes the following types of papers: (a) original and important research;
(b) authoritative comprehensive reviews or short overviews of topics of current
interest; (c) brief but urgent communications on new significant research; and (d)
commentaries intended to foster the exchange of innovative or provocative ideas, and
to encourage dialogue, amongst researchers working in different cluster
disciplines.