The p-n-type Bi5O7I-modified porous C3N4 nano-heterojunction for enhanced visible light photocatalysis

Abstract A p-n-type Bi 5 O 7 I-modified porous g-C 3 N 4 nano-heterojunction is synthesized via a simple preparation technique using the template method and annealing-hydrothermal co-deposition method. The results of SEM, EDS, elemental mapping, XRD, TEM, XPS and FT-IR imply that the Bi 5 O 7 I nanoparticles were successfully deposited on the surface of the g-C 3 N 4 nanosheets. The photocatalytic activity of the as-prepared p-n-type nano-heterojunction remarkably exhibits an enhancement of 30 times that of the unmodified samples. Furthermore, the photocatalytic degradation enhancement mechanism has been studied, which could be ascribed to the p-n-type nano-heterojunction and lamellar-porous structure of the g-C 3 N 4 .