Synergistic Photocatalysis via G‐C 3 N 4 /ZIF‐8 S‐Scheme Heterojunction: A Strategy for Superior Pollutant Degradation

ABSTRACT The g‐C 3 N/ZIF‐8 nanocomposite was synthesized by combining highly porous ZIF‐8 with g‐C 3 N 4 . The characterization results revealed a rhombic dodecahedral morphology for g‐C 3 N 4 /ZIF‐8, with well‐defined surface area and porosity. A pertinent bandgap energy (2.51 eV) for the photocatalytic process was assessed for the optimal g‐C 3 N 4 /ZIF‐8. Catalytic performance of g‐C 3 N 4 /ZIF‐8 composite was assessed by photodegradation of Crystal violet (CV) dye. The results showed 88% photodegradation efficiency for a 20‐ppm aqueous CV dye solution in 90 min at a pH of 10. The degradation process follows pseudo‐first‐order kinetics with a degradation rate of 0.00674 min −1 . Reusability was employed to assess the potential of g‐C 3 N 4 /ZIF‐8 for multiple applications in CV degradation over four consecutive cycles, with the dye degradation efficiency declining to 74%. The trapping test was conducted to effectively trace reactive species involved in the photodegradation of the CV dye. Both superoxide (O 2 •− ) and hydroxyl radicals ( • OH) play crucial roles in photodegradation of CV dye. These findings therefore encourage the use of g‐C 3 N 4 /ZIF‐8 as a sustainable method for synthesizing and tailoring the optical properties of semiconducting materials for water remediation.