Synthesis of a Bismuth Oxychloride/Bismuth Oxyiodide/Graphitic Carbon Nitride (Biomcln/Biopiq/G-C3n4) Nanocomposite with Enhanced Visible-Light Photocatalytic Activity

The use of visible-light-driven photocatalysts in wastewater treatment, photoreduction of CO2, green solar fuels, and solar cells have elicited substantial research attention. Bismuth oxyhalide and its derivatives are a group of visible-light photocatalysts that can diminish electron–hole recombination in layered structures and boost photocatalytic activity. The energy bandgap of these photocatalysts lies in the range of visible light. A simple hydrothermal method was applied to fabricate a series of bismuth oxychloride/bismuth oxyiodide/grafted graphitic carbon nitride (BiOmCln/BiOpIq/g-C3N4) sheets with different contents of g-C3N4. The fabricated sheets were characterized through XRD, TEM, SEM-EDS, XPS, UV-vis DRS, PL, and BET. The conversion efficiency of CO­2 reduction to CH4 of BiOmCln/BiOpIq 4.09 μmol g-1 can be increased to 39.43 μmol g-1 by composited with g-C3N4. It is approximately 9.64 times improvement. The rate constant of BiOmCln/BiOpIq photodegradation CV k = 0.0684 can be increased to 0.2456 by composited with g-C3N4. It is approximately 3.6 times improvement. The electron paramagnetic resonance results and the quenching effects indicated that 1O2, •OH, h+, and •O2− were active species in the aforementioned photocatalytic degradation. Because of their heterojunction, the prepared ternary nanocomposites possess the characteristics of heterojunction of type II band alignment.