Résumé
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•Layered graphitic carbon nitride (g-C3N4) hybridized with cubic-like Ag3PO4 was synthetized via in situ precipitation method to design n-p-type heterostructure.•g-C3N4/Ag3PO4 composites show the improved photoelectrocatalytic activity for pollutant degradation.•The formation of heterojunctions significantly improves the separation efficiency of photogenerated carriers.•O2•- and •OH radicals are the major active species during the photoelectrocatalytic degradation of RhB.•Charge-transfer process and photoelectrocatalytic mechanism were discussed.
In the present investigation, layered graphitic carbon nitride (g-C3N4) was hybridized with Ag3PO4via in situ precipitation route to design heterojunction structure. The crystal structure, textural, morphology, thermal stability and optical proprieties of the as-prepared materials was systematically characterized using X-ray diffraction (XRD), Fourier-transform infrared spectroscopy (FTIR), nitrogen adsorption-desorption, scanning electron microscopy (SEM), Transmission electron microscopy (TEM), thermogravimetric analysis (TGA) and UV–vis diffuse reflectance spectroscopy (DRS). The g-C3N4/Ag3PO4 composite was immobilized on FTO substrate to develop a photoanode catalyst, which was used in a typical photoelectrocatalytic process for Rhodamine B degradation. The results indicate that the g-C3N4/Ag3PO4 composite exhibit a higher photoelectrocatalytic activity for rhodamine B degradation due to the charge transfer/separation properties and prolonged lifetime of charge carriers as it was confirmed by photocurrent and electrochemical impedance spectroscopy results.