Study of the reduction of Cr(VI) using a bio-based g-C3N4/LSACF photocatalyst

In this study a novel g-C3N4/LSACF composite photocatalyst was prepared and used for Cr(VI) reduction.The physical and chemical properties of the materials were measured by multiple characterization methods, including scanning electronic microscopy (SEM), X-ray diffraction (XRD), energy-dispersive X-ray (EDS), Fourier-transform infrared spectroscopy (FTIR), UV-Vis spectrophotometry and Brunauer Emmett Teller (BET).The effects of various factors, including kind of catalyst, dosage of catalyst, pH value, initial concentration of Cr(VI) and cycle number, on the Cr(VI) reduction were investigated.The results show the g-C3N4/LSACF composite photocatalyst exhibited better catalysis efficiency than a single g-C3N4 photocatalyst in Cr(VI) reduction.The recycling use of the g-C3N4/LSACF composite photocatalyst is available with a certain reduction efficiency after the fourth recycle.The presence of oxalic acid enhanced the photocatalytic reduction efficiency of Cr(VI).The obtained g-C3N4/LSACF composite photocatalyst has a promising application flexibility in pollutant treatment.Keywords: reduction of Cr(VI)