Holey g-C3N4 nanosheet wrapped Ag3PO4 photocatalyst and its visible-light photocatalytic performance

Abstract Holey g-C3N4 nanosheet wrapped Ag3PO4 composite was prepared at room temperature by a feasible in situ precipitation. The photoactivity of g-C3N4/Ag3PO4 was estimated by the RhB decolorization under visible light illumination. The photocatalytic efficiency of the composites with 30 wt% loading is almost enhanced 1.89 folds higher than that of the native orthophosphate. More attractively, the enwrapping can not only promote the separation of photogenerated charges efficiently but also protect Ag3PO4 from dissolution, leading to the significant improvement of the photocatalytic activity and durability. The radical trapping experiment manifests that the predominant active species participated in the organic photodegradation are holes, OH, and O2− radicals. On the basis of these results and discussion, a Z-scheme strategy for dye photodegradation against the holey g-C3N4 wrapped Ag3PO4 heterojunction is proposed and further validated by the electrochemical impedance analysis.