A Novel Heterojunction CuWO4/g-C3N4 Photocatalyst for Removal of Organic Pollutant under Visible Light Irradiation

Abstract

In this study, a series of CuWO4/g-C3N4 composites were synthesized using a facile construction method. The structural characteristics of the composites were examined using various techniques, including XRD, SEM, SEM-EDS, FT-IR, and UV–DRS. The photocatalytic performance of the CuWO4/g-C3N4 nanocomposites was evaluated in the degradation of methylene blue (MB) under visible light irradiation. The findings revealed that the CuWO4/g-C3N4 composite with a mass ratio of 10% CuWO4 displayed the highest efficiency (89%) in degrading MB during an 80-minute photodegradation process, which was consistent with the pseudo-first-order kinetics. These results clearly demonstrate that the formation of a Z-scheme CuWO4/g-C3N4 heterojunction significantly improves the photocatalytic efficiency by promoting rapid separation of electron-hole pairs and enhancing the redox capability. Additionally, the photodegradation efficiency remained above 85% even after four cycles, suggesting the stability of the catalyst.