A stable BiPO4/g-C3N4 nanosheet composite with highly enhanced visible light photocatalytic activity

The novel hybrid architectures of BiPO4 nanorods and g-C3N4 nanosheets (defined as BiPO4/g-C3N4) with highly visible-light-driven photocatalytic activity has been synthesized via a facile ultrasonic dispersion method as a composite photocatalyst for environmental treatment of organic pollutant. X-ray diffraction, scanning electron microscope, transmission electron microscopy, X-ray photoelectron spectra, UV–Vis diffuse reflectance spectra and photoluminescence spectra have been employed to characterize the hybrid materials. The as-obtained photocatalysts show remarkable activity for degradation of rhodamine B under visible light irradiation (λ > 420 nm). The enhanced photocatalytic activity for BiPO4/g-C3N4 composite can be ascribed to the facilitated separation and easy transfer of photogenerated electron–hole pairs on the interface of BiPO4 and g-C3N4. Therefore, the photocatalytic activity of catalyst with optimal BiPO4 weight ratio of 7% in the composite is about twice as high as that of pure g-C3N4.