Fabrication of multi-component heterojunction Ag/AgCl/g-C3N4/Sn-In3O2 for enhanced degradation of RhB under visible light

High-efficiency visible-light photocatalysts have been recognized as a cost-effective approach for the degradation of organic pollutants in wastewater. In this study, we constructed a novel multi-component heterojunction photocatalyst Ag/AgCl/g-C3N4/Sn-In2O3 through a simple thermal polymerization and photo-assisted reduction processes. The photocatalytic activity of Ag/AgCl/g-C3N4/Sn-In2O3 was remarkably improved compared to other samples in the degradation of Rhodamine B (RhB). The degradation of RhB by 5 % Ag/AgCl/g-C3N4/Sn-In2O3 reached 98.5 % within 60 min, while the degradation rates under g-C3N4, g-C3N4/Sn-In2O3, and Ag/AgCl/g-C3N4 were found to be 41.8 %, 73.6 %, and 85.9 %, respectively. Electron spin resonance (ESR) signals trapping and radical scavenging confirmed that the h+ and ·O2− were the two main reactive species in photodegradation RhB. The result provides innovative insights that could inform the future design and development of photocatalysts with exceptional efficiency.