Enhanced photocatalytic performance of g-C3N4 nanosheets-BiOBr hybrids

Exfoliated g-C3N4 (CNs)-BiOBr hybrids with heterojunction structure was fabricated through a chemical deposition precipitation route. The characterization showed the uniform existence of CNs and BiOBr in hybrids. The fabricated CNs-BiOBr was of enlarged specific surface area, unique optical property, and well-matched energy-band structures. The photocatalytic performance on dye Rhodamine B (RhB) and 2,4-diclorophenol (2,4-DCP) were dramatically improved. Under identical conditions, sample 0.5CNs-BiOBr and CNs BiOBr were identified as the best candidate, respectively, for catalytic degradation of RhB and 2,4-DCP. The former could show a reaction rate over RhB about 2.7 and 6.8 times as high as BiOBr and CNs alone, and the later exhibited a reaction rate over 2,4-DCP nearly 7.5 and 2.5 times as high as individual BiOBr and CNs. Finally, a possible catalytic mechanism was also proposed through active species trapping experiments. (C) 2014 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.