Graphitic-C<inf>3</inf>N<inf>4</inf> modified ZnAl-layered double hydroxides for enhanced photocatalytic removal of organic dye: Fid-Bau Portal

Graphitic-C3N4 modified ZnAl-layered double hydroxides for enhanced photocatalytic removal of organic dye

Yuan, Xiaoya / Li, Wenyu

AbstractLayered double hydroxides (LDH) are one of the most important photocatalyts intensively investigated for photodecolorization of organic dyes. ZnAl-LDH was successfully modified with graphitic-C3N4 (g-C3N4) by a simple in situ crystallization technique. The obtained C3N4/ZnAl-LDH composites were thoroughly characterized by Scanning electron microscopy (SEM), High-resolution transmission electron microscopy (HRTEM), powder X-ray diffraction (XRD), X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy (XPS), UV–Vis diffuse reflectance spectroscopy (DRS). The detailed analysis indicated that g-C3N4 sheets could act as substrate to induce the growth of LDH crystallites and ZnAl-LDH platelets randomly distributed on the sheets with a strong interaction between them. The photocatalytic activities of C3N4/ZnAl-LDH composites toward decolorization of methylene blue (MB) highly depended on the loading of g-C3N4. At the g-C3N4 weight loading of 18%, the rate constant of C3N4/ZnAl-LDH was more than five times and nearly two times than that of pure ZnAl-LDH and g-C3N4 respectively. The enhanced activity of C3N4/ZnAl-LDH composites could be ascribed to the synergistic effect between two components of the composites.

Graphical abstract

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Highlights•ZnAl-LDH was successfully modified with different loadings of g-C3N4 by a simple in situ crystallization technique.•The rate constant of C3N4-18/ZnAl-LDH was more than five times and almost two times than that of pure ZnAl-LDH and C3N4 respectively.•The enhanced activity of C3N4/ZnAl-LDH composites could be ascribed to the synergistic effect between two components of the composites.