A g-C3N4/MIL-101(Fe) heterostructure composite for highly efficient BPA degradation with persulfate under visible light irradiation

Abstract

Heterostructured composites with outstanding photocatalytic performance have attracted intense attention because of their great potential for use in environmental remediation. Herein, a facile hydrothermal method to obtain heterostructured composites consisting of graphitic-carbon nitride (g-C₃N₄) and an Fe-based metal organic framework (MIL-101(Fe)) is reported. The as-prepared hybrids exhibited dramatically improved photocatalytic performance for bisphenol A (BPA) degradation in the presence of persulfate (PS) under visible light irradiation. The apparent rate constant, k, for BPA degradation by g-C₃N₄/MIL-101(Fe) composites with PS was approximately 8.9 times higher than that obtained with bare g-C₃N₄. The superior performance arises from the heterojunction formed between MIL-101(Fe) and g-C₃N₄ with a favourable band position and the excellent PS activation ability of MIL-101(Fe), which not only enables the fast electron transfer from g-C₃N₄ to MIL-101(Fe) but also accelerates PS activation for SO₄˙⁻ radical production. This work provides an effective way for constructing novel photocatalytic systems with efficient activity for refractory pollutant removal.