Corncob carbon modified g-C3N4 catalysts with improved photocatalytic performance under visible light

In this paper, a series of corncob carbon modified g-C3N4 composite catalyst with excellent visible light response properties was synthesized via a simple one-pot co-solvothermal method. The catalysts displayed enhanced adsorption performance and photocatalytic activity of 98.89 % and 99.08 % on Rhodamine B (RhB) and methyl orange (MO) removal efficiency under visible light irradiation, respectively. The superoxide radical and hydroxyl radical were the dominant reactive oxygen species involved in the photocatalysis reaction. The significantly enhanced adsorption and photocatalytic performance of the catalysts was ascribed to the porous structure and the strong interactions between g-C3N4 and corncob carbon. After six cycles of experiments, the catalysts still exhibit stable and high performance for the removal efficiency of RhB and MO. Based on the analytical results, a possible mechanism of photocatalytic degradation was proposed in detail. The corncob carbon modified g-C3N4 composites can be regarded as a potential catalyst in the application of the dye wastewater treatment.