Visible light mediated photocatalytic conversion of nitroaromatics to aminoaromatics employing a P doped g-C3N4/CuFe2O4 nanocomposite

Abstract

This study reports the successful preparation of P-doped g-C₃N₄/CuFe₂O₄ nanocomposites using a co-precipitation method. The P-doped g-C₃N₄ material was synthesized through thermal calcination of melamine and diammonium hydrogen phosphate precursors, which allowed the effective incorporation of phosphorus atoms into the g-C₃N₄ structure. Afterwards, CuFe₂O₄ nanoparticles were successfully combined with the P-doped g-C₃N₄ layers through a hydrothermal process. Various characterization techniques, including FTIR, XRD, XPS, FESEM, TEM, EDS, elemental mapping, DRS, BET, PL, and EIS, were applied to study the structure, morphology, and optical properties of the nanocomposites. In this work, we present a simple, eco-friendly, and controllable synthesis approach for producing highly efficient P-doped g-C₃N₄/CuFe₂O₄ composites for environmental purification purposes. The prepared nanocomposites showed a significant improvement in photocatalytic performance for reducing nitroaromatic compounds under visible light compared to the original materials. Among them, the P-doped g-C₃N₄/CuFe₂O₄-40 % composite achieved a complete conversion of nitrobenzene to aniline within 60 min with a yield of 100 %. Hydrazine monohydrate was used as the hydrogen source in these reactions. Moreover, the catalyst maintained its high efficiency and stable structure over twelve repeated cycles without noticeable loss of activity, demonstrating excellent stability and reusability.