Green synthesis of Ag/g-C3N4 composite materials as a catalyst for DBD plasma in degradation of ethyl acetate

An Ag/g-C3N4 composite was successfully synthesized through an ultrasonic-calcination process. The catalyst was characterized by transmission electron microscopy (TEM), X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy (XPS), X-ray diffraction (XRD), and ultraviolet visible absorption spectroscopy (UV–Vis) analyses. The results showed that Ag supported on g-C3N4 was highly dispersed, and the number of active sites increased. Ag/g-C3N4 was applied as a catalyst to dielectric barrier discharge (DBD) plasma for ethyl acetate (EA) degradation. The Ag loading improved the response range of g-C3N4 to visible light and increased the photocatalytic performance. The infrared spectrum analysis of exhaust gas indicated that the main degradation products of EA were CO, CO2, ozone (O3), and NO2. DBD coupled with the catalyst not only elevated the degradation efficiency of EA as well as the mineralization ratio of EA, but also reduced the content of O3 and abated secondary pollution.