Synthesis of a Novel Photocatalyst MVO₄/g-C₃N₄ (M = La, Gd) with Better Photocatalytic Activity for Tetracycline Hydrochloride Degradation under Visible-Light Irradiation

• Main Authors: Zhengru Zhu, Songlin Han, Yongqiang Cao, Junchao Jiang
• Format: Article
• Language: English
• Published: MDPI AG 2021-06-01
• Series: Crystals
• Subjects: heterojunction photocatalyst; vanadate; graphitic carbon nitride; antibiotic degradation
• Online Access: https://www.mdpi.com/2073-4352/11/7/756

In this study, novel photocatalysts MVO₄/g-C₃N₄ (M = La, Gd) were prepared by the hydrothermal method, through which different loading amounts of 10–50%MVO₄ and g-C₃N₄ were mixed and ultrasonically oscillated to gain heterojunction catalysts. All the samples were characterized by XRD, SEM, TEM, FT-IR, XPS, Us-vis, and PL to ensure the successful integration of LaVO₄ and GdVO₄ with g-C₃N₄. The obtained results showed that MVO₄/g-C₃N₄ could effectually improve the separation efficiency of photogenerated carriers during the photodegradation process, thus improving the photodegradation efficiency, while among them, 40%GdVO₄/g-C₃N₄ showed the best photocatalytic performance and degradation of tetracycline hydrochloride, reaching up to 91% for 3 h, which was 3.64 times higher than pristine g-C₃N₄. From the discussed results above, the possible mechanism of the photodegradation process was put forward. This study supplies a promising method to gain g-C₃N₄-based photocatalysts for antibiotics removal.