Catalysis

Dielectric spectroscopy

Electrochemistry

Photochemistry

Materials science

Rhodamine B

Pollutant

Telecommunications

Molecule

Computer science

Photoluminescence

Band gap

Physical chemistry

Visible spectrum

Organic chemistry

Natural bond orbital

Degradation (telecommunications)

Charge carrier

Radical

Heterojunction

Chemistry

Electrode

Photocatalysis

Optoelectronics

Journal of Alloys and Compounds

A highly potential visible light active g-C3N4/Bi4NbO8X (Cl, Br) heterojunction photocatalysts were constructed at the interface of the coupling between Bi4NbO8X (Cl, Br) and g-C3N4. The band gap value of heterojunctions g-C3N4/Bi4NbO8Br-20% (CNBNB-3), g-C3N4/Bi4NbO8Cl-20% (CNBNC-3), and pristine materials g-C3N4 (CN), Bi4NbO8Cl and Bi4NbO8Br were analyzed to be 2.68 eV, 2.69 eV and 2.74 eV, 2.46 eV and 2.48 eV, respectively. The degradation performance of optimized CNBNC-3 and CNBNB-3 photocatalysts revealed much superior removal efficiency of 97% and 84% than the pristine material for rhodamine B. The synthesized photocatalysts maintained good recyclable stability after five consecutive cycles and potentially capable of pollutant degradation. The electrochemical impedance and photoluminescence spectroscopy revealed that the migration and separation efficiency of photogenerated charge carriers of photocatalyst were boosted, while reduced recombination rate was observed. The photocatalytic reaction mechanism also revealed the superoxide ·O2− and •OH radicals are the main active species responsible for the pollutant degradation.

Visible light driven g-C3N4/Bi4NbO8X (X Cl, Br) heterojunction photocatalyst for the degradation of organic pollutants