Fabrication, characterization and photocatalytic activity of g-C sub(3)N sub(4) coupled with FeVO sub(4) nanorods

A novel FeVO sub(4)/g-C sub(3)N sub(4) composite photocatalyst was synthesized viaa simple mixing-calcination method and characterized by various techniques including the Brunauer-Emmett-Teller method, X-ray diffraction, scanning electron microscopy, transmission electron microscopy, X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy, UV-vis diffuse reflectance spectroscopy, photoluminescence spectroscopy, and an electrochemical method. The photocatalytic activity was evaluated by degradation of rhodamine B (RhB). Results indicated that the FeVO sub(4)/g-C sub(3)N sub(4) composite exhibited a much higher photocatalytic activity than pure g-C sub(3)N sub(4) under visible light illumination. The rate constant of RhB degradation for the optimal FeVO sub(4)/g-C sub(3)N sub(4) composite (5.0% FeVO sub(4)/g-C sub(3)N sub(4)) is approximately 2.2 times that of pure g-C sub(3)N sub(4). The formation of a heterojunction structure between FeVO sub(4) and g-C sub(3)N sub(4) which efficiently promoted the separation of electron-hole pairs was believed to be the origin of the enhanced photoactivity.