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The vacuum tube method has been used for the construction of nondestructive and physically stable graphitic carbon nitride/graphene nanoplatelet composites and their photocatalytic behavior studied by measuring different photoactivities, such as photocurrent, photoluminescence, and the photodegradation of tetracycline hydrochloride under visible‐light irradiation. The formation of a heterojunction was confirmed by XRD, TEM, SEM, FTIR, XPS, and Raman spectroscopy. The results of this research indicate that the vacuum tube method is a facile, economic, and environmentally friendly approach to the preparation of composites. An ion‐trapping experiment indicated that, under visible light, the most effective photocatalyst generated the superoxide radical (O2·–) and holes (h+) to achieve the complete degradation of tetracycline hydrochloride. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This research reported electro-static junctions between carbon nanotubes (CNT) and graphitic carbon nitride (CCN) with enhanced photocatalytic properties. The CNT and CCN formed the CTCN (CNT/CCN) by the electro-statistic driving force under hydrothermal methodology. The materials fabrication was confirmed by using different analyzing techniques such as SEM, TEM, XRD, and FTIR (etc). Also, the photocatalytic ability was studied by the degradation of R-610 under visible light irradiation. The CTCN-1 possess the higher degradation rate 0.0105 min−1 and higher current density 0.19 μA/cm2 as compare to other, CTCN-2 (0.0088 min−1, 0.16 μ A/cm2), CTCN-3 (0.0065 min−1, 0.12 μ A/cm2) and CCN (0.0035 min−1, 0.10 μ A/cm2). The combining of CNT with CCN in a specific amount reduces the structure defects in graphitic carbon nitride by reducing the charge recombination ability. Ion-trapping experiments showed that superoxide radicals and holes are the most generated and effective photogenerated species to accomplish the degradation of R-610 (rhodamine-610) under visible light irradiation. • Electro-statistic junctions between CNT and graphitic carbon nitride was created. • Optimum quantity of CNT with CCN can reduce the structure defects. • O− 2 and h+ are the most effective photogenerated species to accomplish the R-610. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This study focused on the fabrication of a peculiar 3D/2D ZnIn 2 S 4 /oxygen-doped graphitic carbon nitride (ZnIn 2 S 4 /SO-GCN) through a simple hydrothermal method. The flower-like morphology of hexagonal ZnIn 2 S 4 disperse on the SO-GCN nanosheets are evidenced by XRD, scanning and transmission electron microscopy. The as-synthesized nanocomposites were intensively applied for the visible light photocatalytic removal of aqueous phase 2,4-D. The heterojunction creation and the well-developed combined interface between ZnIn 2 S 4 and SO-GCN significantly increases its photogenerated charge separation capability. The photo-degradation mechanism disclose that the heterojunction has improved catalytic degradation activity, due to efficient transferring of photogenerated electron-holes pairs. Under visible-light irradiation, these nanocomposites showed 3–5 times higher degradation rate of 2,4-D (i.e. 0.0112/min, by 30%-ZnIn 2 S 4 /SO-GCN), as compared to solo ZnIn 2 S 4 and SO-GCN, attributed to the composite's synergistic effect in unique 3D/2D heterojunction, that accelerates the electron-hole separation. The h+ and •OH species contribute a noteworthy role in the degradation process of 2,4-D over 30%-ZnIn 2 S 4 /SO-GCN. In addition, the synthesized nanocomposites sustained their reusability performance in five cyclic run. Our research have implications of constructing 3D/2D nanocomposites which is beneficial for scalable solution of efficient photocatalysts. • Flower like ZnIn 2 S 4 /SO-GCN heterojunction was synthesized by hydrothermal method. • Interfacial microstructures significantly enhanced the photocatalytic performance. • A typical Type II heterostructure was confirmed between SO-GCN and ZnIn 2 S 4. • The degradation rate of 2,4-D by 30%-ZnIn 2 S 4 /SO-GCN was investigated. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

[Display omitted] • Interface α-MnO 2 /Bi 2 WO 6 heterostructure synthesized with abundant Mn3+/Mn4+ defect. • Boosted visible light by surface oxygen vacancies, defects sites. • O 2 − and 1O 2 were the main ROS for TC-HCl degradation, Cr6 reduction. • DFT calculation reveals high charge density at the built-in-interface. • Mechanistic insights into Z-scheme charge transfer. The construction of visible-light-driven hybrid heterostructure photocatalysts is of great significance for environmental remediation, although the utilization of strong visible-light response photocatalysts with high efficiency and stability remains a major challenge. On the other hand, defect engineering is an excellent way to introduce metal cation vacancies in materials, thereby ensuing in highly enhanced catalytic performance. Inspired by this, we effectively constructed a built-in interface α-MnO 2 /Bi 2 WO 6 heterostructure with abundant intimate interfaces and defective Mn3+/Mn4+ active sites for photocatalytic tetracycline hydrochloride (TC-HCl), hexavalent chromium Cr6+ reduction, and Escherichia coli (E. coli) inactivation. The experimental results, such as the active species test and X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy, indicated that the defective sites Mn3+/Mn4+, surface oxygen vacancies, and Bi(3+x)+ boosted the visible light absorption, and highly enhanced the photoinduced charge separation/transfer. Furthermore, experimental and DFT calculations reveal the high charge density at the built-in interface heterostructure and the Z-scheme charge transfer mechanism during the photocatalytic process. The results further reveal that O 2 − and 1O 2 are the main reactive active species contributing to the photocatalytic reaction. The exceptional TC-HCl decomposition activity of the α-MnO 2 /Bi 2 WO 6 heterostructure (97.56%, 2.31, and 2.04 times higher than bulk), enhanced reaction kinetics (K app = 0.041 min−1, 6.4, and 5.2 times higher than bulk), removal rate of 80.3%, Cr6+ reduction to Cr3+ (98.56%, K app = 0.0599 min−1), and almost 100% bacterial inactivation compared to bulk α-MnO 2 (42.22%) and Bi 2 WO 6 (47.76%), were mainly due to the enhanced charge separation/transfer at the built-in interface and high charge density. This study opens new horizons for constructing Z-scheme MnO-based interface heterostructures with abundant defect sites for exceptional photocatalytic applications. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]