Synthesis and application of Z-Scheme g-C3N4/g-C3N5 heterotype homojunction for aquatic pollutants degradation

Advanced oxidation processes (AOPs) are key technologies in wastewater treatment for their effectiveness and low environmental impact. Heterogeneous photocatalysis, particularly using TiO2, has been extensively studied; however, its wide band gap (~3.2 eV) limits its efficiency under solar light. This has led to interest in visible light-activated photocatalysts, such as g-C3N4, which has a band gap of about 2.7–2.8 eV but suffers from high recombination rates of photogenerated e-/h+ pairs. Recently, nitrogen-rich graphitic carbon nitride (g-C3N5) has shown promise with a narrower band gap (~1.9 eV) but still faces recombination issues. Hoping to address these problems, this work evaluates the synthesis of a g-C3N4/g-C3N5 Z-Scheme heterotype homojunction, which promotes e-/h+ separation and broadens the catalyst response in the visible spectrum. In this concise presentation of the work, the synthesis of the materials took place through the direct calcination of urea as precursor for g-C3N4,and 3-amino-1,2,4-triazole (3-AT) for g-C3N5, utilizing water as the mixing agent. The materials were synthesized using different ratios of the two monomers, were characterized using methods such as XRD, FT-IR, and DRS, and the photocatalytic activity is being investigated, targeting Haloperidol, an antipsychotic drug, delivered as an aquatic pollutant in WWTPs.