Enriched photocatalytic and photoelectrochemical activities of a 2D/0D g-C₃N₄/CeO₂ nanostructure

Sunlight-powered photocatalysts made from CeO₂ nanosized particles and g-C₃N₄ nanostructures were produced through a thermal decomposition process with urea and cerium nitrate hexahydrate. The preparation of g-C₃N₄, CeO₂, and a binary nanostructured g-C₃N₄/CeO₂ photocatalyst was done through a facile thermal decomposition method. The structural properties were analyzed using powder X-ray diffraction, scanning electron microscopy, high-resolution transmission electron microscopy, energy dispersive X-ray spectroscopy, and X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy (XPS). Photocatalyst properties were characterized by using crystal violet (CV), a UV-Vis spectrophotometer, photocurrent and electron impedance spectroscopy (EIS). The structural and morphological analyses revealed that the g-C₃N₄/CeO₂ nanostructures significantly enhanced the photoactivity for CV dye degradation under simulated sunlight, with a degradation rate of 94.5% after 105 min, compared to 82.5% for pure g-C₃N₄ and 45% for pure CeO₂. This improvement was attributed to the noticeable visible light absorption and remarkable charge separation abilities of the nanostructures. Additionally, the g-C₃N₄/CeO₂ nanostructures showed notable PEC performance under simulated sunlight. This study presents an easy and efficient method for producing g-C₃N₄ photocatalysts decorated with semiconductor materials and provides insights for designing nanostructures for photocatalytic and energy applications. © 2023 The Author(s). Published by the Royal Society of Chemistry.