Simulated Solar Light Responsive Carbon Nitride/TiO2 Nanofiber Heterojunction Photocatalyst: Synthesis, Characterization, and Photocatalytic Performance

A carbon nitride/TiO2 nanofiber heterojunction photocatalyst that is responsive to simulated solar light is prepared by a simple self-assembly method. X-ray diffraction (XRD), UV-vis spectroscopy, scanning electron microscopy (SEM), electrochemical impedance spectroscopy (EIS), and X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy (XPS) are used to characterize the prepared catalysts. The results indicate that the TiO2 nanofiber is coated by the g-C3N4 sheet to form a core/shell structure, which is favorable for the fast interfacial charge transfer and separation of the photogenerated electron-hole pairs. The activity and stability of carbon nitride/TiO2 nanofiber heterojunction photocatalyst are tested in the photocatalytic degradation of rhodamine B (RhB) under simulated solar light. The rate constant of TiNF(0.3)-CN is found to be 0.044 min(-1), which is 4 and 2.2 times higher than that of single TiO2 nanofiber and g-C3N4, respectively. A possible mechanism is proposed.