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Fabrication of g-C3N4/WO3 Nanocomposite for Efficient Visible Light Photocatalytic Degradation of Rhodamine B and Electrochemical Sensing of 2-Nitrophenol

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Abstract

In this study, a novel photocatalyst comprising graphitic carbon nitride (g-C3N4) and tungsten oxide (WO3) in different weight ratios was fabricated through a facile synthesis method. The synthesized nanocomposites were characterized using various techniques including X-ray diffraction (XRD), scanning electron microscopy (SEM), transmission electron microscopy (TEM), and UV–vis spectroscopy to elucidate their structural and optical properties. The photocatalytic performance of the g-C3N4/WO3 nanocomposite was evaluated for Rhodamine (RhB) degradation under visible light irradiation. Remarkably, the 3 wt % g-C3N4/WO3 nanocomposite exhibited a superior degradation efficiency of 96% (rate constant ~ 0.02714 min−1) compared to pure g-C3N4 and WO3. The major role was played by both holes (h+) and superoxide anion radicals (•O2−) in the degradation process. This performance is attributed to the synergistic effect between the two components, which facilitated efficient charge separation leading to decreased recombination of photo-generated electron–hole pairs, and improved light absorption. Additionally, the optimized nanocomposite was employed for electrochemical detection of 2-nitrophenol (2-NP), showcasing remarkable sensitivity (limit of detection ~ 0.22 µM) and selectivity towards 2-NP. This positions it as a promising candidate for environmental monitoring applications. In summary, this study underscores the potential of the g-C3N4/WO3 nanocomposite in wastewater treatment as a visible light photocatalyst, alongside its utility in electrochemical sensing of organic pollutants.

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Data Availability

Upon a reasonable request, the datasets generated and analyzed in the course of the present study are available from the corresponding authors.

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Acknowledgements

RK and AK thank BHU, Varanasi for PhD fellowships. RK and AK also acknowledge the credit research incentive scheme by IoE, BHU. All authors also acknowledge Prof. Pralay Maiti, School of Materials Science and Technology, Indian Institute of Technology (BHU). The authors also acknowledge Central Discovery Centre, BHU, the Department of Chemistry, and the Department of Physics for the use of Instrumentation facilities.

Funding

CSPT and DG acknowledge IoE Cell BHU for providing seed grants under the IoE scheme (Dev. Scheme No. 6031) and transdisciplinary research grants (Dev. Scheme No. 6031(A)).

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Department of Physics, Institute of Science, Banaras Hindu University, Varanasi, India

    Richa Kumari, Ashish Kumar & Chandra Shekhar Pati Tripathi

  2. Centre for Basic Sciences, Pt. Ravishankar Shukla University, Raipur, India

    Raunak Tripathi

  3. Department of Chemistry, Institute of Science, Banaras Hindu University, Varanasi, India

    Debanjan Guin

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Contributions

Richa Kumari: Formal analysis, Writing—Original Draft; Ashish Kumar: Data Curation, Validation, Investigation, Raunak Tripathi: Validation, Investigation, Debanjan Guin: Writing—Conceptualization, Methodology, Review & Editing; Chandra Shekhar Pati Tripathi: Conceptualization, Methodology, Writing—Review & Editing.

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Correspondence to Debanjan Guin or Chandra Shekhar Pati Tripathi.

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Kumari, R., Kumar, A., Tripathi, R. et al. Fabrication of g-C3N4/WO3 Nanocomposite for Efficient Visible Light Photocatalytic Degradation of Rhodamine B and Electrochemical Sensing of 2-Nitrophenol. Catal Lett (2024). https://doi.org/10.1007/s10562-024-04715-w

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