A Novel Photocatalyst MoS2-ZrO2/g-C3N4 and Its Photocatalytic Properties

A new combined method of hydrothermal synthesis and wet impregnation was employed for synthesizing MoS2-ZrO2/g-C3N4 photocatalysts. The crystallinity and morphology of the catalysts were characterized using X-ray diffraction (XRD) and field emission scanning electron microscope (FE-SEM). Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy (FT-IR) is used to analyze the type of chemical bonds in catalysts. The band gap and elemental composition of the catalysts were tested using UV-Vis DRS, XPS, and EDS. Characterization shows that the catalyst recombines successfully and the band gap has also improved. The photocatalytic activity of MoS2-ZrO2/g-C3N4 composites was investigated by degrading rhodamine B under simulated visible light conditions. The text results show that the photocatalytic activity of pure g-C3N4, MoS2, ZrO2, or binary composites is lower than that of MoS2-ZrO2/g-C3N4. The degradation rate of the optimal ratio of 5% MoS2-ZrO2/g-C3N4 reached 99.8% after 40 min of illumination. This is because the doping of MoS2 and ZrO2 reduces the bandgap of g-C3N4, slows down the recombination rate of the photo-generated e(-)/h(+) pairs. In addition, cyclic and trapping experiments were carried out to explore the stability and photocatalytic mechanism of MoS2-ZrO2/g-C3N4.