Fabricating CsPbX3/CN heterostructures with enhanced photocatalytic activity for penicillins 6-APA degradation

Abstract Fabrication of CsPbX3 (X = Cl, Br)/graphitic carbon nitride (CN) composite has proved to be an efficient way to improve the stability of CsPbX3 nanocrystals (NCs) and improve their photocatalytic activities. Here, the CsPbBr3/CN and CsPbCl3/CN heterostructures were successfully prepared, based on the band structure, the CsPbBr3/CN is indexed as a type I heterostructure, and CsPbCl3/CN is indexed as a type II heterostructure. Both CsPbX3/CN heterostructure could facilitate the electron-hole pairs (e−-h+) separation and exhibit the outstanding photocatalytic activity for penicillins 6-aminopenicillanic acid (6-APA) degradation under visible light, the degradation rates of 6-APA with CsPbCl3/CN and CsPbBr3/CN composite were about 78.11 and 83.31% in 120 min, respectively. The improved photocatalytic activity of the CsPbX3/CN heterostructures could be attributed to the favourable adsorbability, the enhanced light-harvesting ability, the efficient charge separation ability, as well as the synergistic effects of CsPbX3 NCs and CN. This work may not only open up a new insight for design of CsPbX3-based heterostructure as novel photocatalyst but also provide a new possibility for photocatalytic applications of perovskites-based NCs.