Effects of iron oxide contents on photocatalytic performance of nanocomposites based on g-C3N4

alpha-Fe2O3/Fe3O4/g-C3N4 nanocomposites were prepared in-situ by solution combustion as magnetically separable photocatalysts using ferric nitrate as oxidant, glycine as organic fuel, and g-C3N4. The effects of various amounts of iron oxides, on the magnetic, optical, and photocatalytic properties were explored by different characterization methods. The magnetite (Fe3O4) phase as ferrimagnetic material disappeared with the increase in ferric nitrate contents, leading to the decrease of magnetic properties. The bandgap energy decreased from 2.8 to 1.6 eV with the increase of the hematite (alpha-Fe2O3) phase.The photocatalytic results showed that the type and amount of iron oxides had a significant effect on the decolorization of methylene blue, rhodamine B and methyl orange dyes under visible-light irradiation. The activity of the nanocomposite sample containing 37 wt. % iron oxides was more effective than that of the pristine g-C3N4 sample to photodegrade the methylene blue, rhodamine B and methyl orange, respectively. Moreover, the nanocomposites exhibited a higher photocurrent density than that of the pristine g-C3N4, mainly due to their lower charge recombination rate.