Novel g-C3N4 nanorods/Cu3BiS3 nanocomposites: Outstanding photocatalysts with p-n heterojunction for impressively detoxification of water under visible light

Novel g-C3N4 nanorods/Cu3BiS3 (abbreviated as R-GCN/Cu3BiS3) nanocomposites were fabricated via a facile hydrothermal procedure, and they were used for the removal of tetracycline (TC), amoxicillin (AMX), methyl orange (MO), rhodamine B (RhB), and Cr (VI) upon visible light. The XRD, EDX, XPS, and FTIR analyses affirmed anchoring Cu3BiS3 nanoparticles over the R-GCN component. An utmost amount of TC removal was gained when 30 wt% of Cu3BiS3 was anchored on R-GCN. The photoactivity of R-GCN/Cu3BiS3 (30%) nanocomposite for the removal of TC was 62.5 and 5.41-folds premier than GCN and T-GCN photocatalysts, respectively. The R-GCN/ Cu3BiS3 (30%) nanocomposite demonstrated significant activity even after four cycles of application. The anchored Cu3BiS3 component not only improved the extent of visible-light absorption, but also facilitated segregation and migration of charges, which were confirmed by UV-vis DRS, PL, EIS, and photocurrent analyses. Regarding the facile fabrication procedure, and outstanding activity, this research can be a good reference for construction of GCN-based visible-light-induced photocatalysts for treatment of various contaminants in wastewaters.