Double Z-scheme system of α-SnWO4/UiO-66(NH2)/g-C3N4 ternary heterojunction with enhanced photocatalytic performance for ibuprofen degradation and H2 evolution

Abstract In this work, we successfully prepared regular hexagonal prism porous structure g-C3N4 (CN), and designed α-SnWO4 and UiO-66(NH2) on porous CN for constructing novel ternary α-SnWO4/UiO-66(NH2)/g-C3N4 (α-SW/UNCN) hybrid photocatalyst by solvothermal approach. The α-SW75/UNCN composite showed better photocatalytic performance, and the removal rate of Ibuprofen (IPF) reached 95.5% within 2 h and the H2 evolution efficiency reached 2105 μmol g−1 h−1 under simulated sunlight, which were 2.5 times and 21 times higher than those of α-SW (42.5% and 105 μmol g−1 h−1). The TOC removal efficiency of IPF can reach to 29%, showing higher mineralization ability compared with α-SW. In addition, the trapping experiment and ESR experiment proved that •O2- and •OH radicals played most important part in the photodegradation of IPF pollutants. The improved photocatalytic performance of α-SW/UNCN was owing to the construction of n-p-n type double Z-scheme heterojunction which enhanced carries separation. This work will provide a method for preparing novel and efficiency ternary composite catalyst for antibiotic contaminant degradation and H2 production.