SYNTHESIS OF g-C3N4/CuWO4 COMPOSITE WITH HIGH PHOTOCATALYTIC ACTIVITY UNDER VISIBLE LIGHT

Abstract

Two-component graphitic carbon nitride and copper tungstate (g-C3N4/CuWO4) composite photocatalyst was successfully synthesized by a sonication-assisted calcination method at various temperatures of 530 oC. The as-prepared samples were characterized by X-ray diffraction (XRD), infrared spectroscopy (IR), Ultraviolet-visible diffuse reflectance spectroscopy (UV-Vis-DRS), and Scanning electron microscope (SEM). The absorption of g-C3N4/CuWO4 is enhanced distinctly in the visible light region compared to that of pure g-C3N4 and CuWO4. The tetracycline (TC) degradation evaluated the photocatalytic performance of material. Results show that, the photocatalytic degradation efficiency of TC by g-C3N4/CuWO4 under visible light irradiation reaches 80.57% after 3 hours. The enhanced photocatalytic activity of g-C3N4/CuWO4 composite was predominantly attributed to the synergistic effect, which increased visible-light absorption and facilitated the efficient separation of photoinduced electrons and holes (Z-scheme).