Construction of a SiC/g-C3N4 Heterojunction Photocatalyst for Enhanced Photocatalytic Degradation of Sodium Dodecyl Sulfate under Visible Light

Abstract

This paper investigates the degradation of SDS (a proxy for sodium linear alkylbenzene sulfonate) in water using a SiC/g-C₃N₄ (SCN) composite photocatalyst. The SCN composite was synthesized by calcining melamine and SiC powder and characterized through XRD, SEM, EDS, XPS, UV-Vis DRS analyses. Photocatalytic experiments conducted at room temperature evaluated the degradation performance, stability, and mechanism of SCN. The results confirm the successful synthesis of SCN, which exhibits broader light absorption, higher efficiency compared to pure g- C₃N₄, and enhanced photogenerated electron-hole separation. Under visible light irradiation in the presence of hydrogen peroxide, SCN effectively degrades SDS, maintaining approximately 90% degradation efficiency after three cycles, demonstrating good stability. Sacrificial agent tests indicate that h⁺, OH, ·O₂⁻, and e⁻ all contribute to the degradation process. The degradation mechanism is attributed to the SiC/g-C₃N₄ heterojunction, which promotes charge separation and reactive species generation, making SCN a promising photocatalyst for aqueous SDS degradation.