Synthesis and properties of Sm‐TiO 2 coupled with g‐C 3 N 4 for improved photocatalytic degradation toward methylene blue and tetracycline under visible‐light irradiation

Owing to the great harm that water pollution has caused to the natural environment, the effective treatment of sewage is crucial. In this study, Sm-TiO2/g-C3N4 composites were synthesized for the degradation of MB and TC pollutants. The experimental results showed that up to 91.8% and 93.3% of MB and TC pollutants were removed within 120 min of illumination, which were 2.8 and 2.3 times greater than that of pure TiO2, respectively, showing the good optical properties of the composites. Due to the coupling between Sm-TiO2 and g-C3N4, the separation of photogenerated electron holes is accelerated, thereby enhancing the photocatalytic activity of the composites. This not only enabled the strong redox ability of TiO2 to be retained, but also effectively promoted electron migration, thus improving the photocatalytic activity of the composites.