Solvent free solid-state synthesis of Pr6O11/g-C3N4 visible light active photocatalyst for degradation of AV7 dye

Abstract A new Pr6O11/g-C3N4 heterostructure material has been prepared by single step solvent free solid state method for photocatalytic environmental cleaning application using visible light. The Pr6O11/g-C3N4 heterostructure exhibits enhanced visible light absorption, resulting in improved photoelectrochemical properties and photocatalytic performance. The optimized composition of Pr6O11/g-C3N4 composite shows improved degradation kinetics and completely degrades AV7 dye within 20 min of visible light irradiation. Photoluminescence and electrochemical studies suggest better separation of photogenerated charge carriers in the composite compared to single phase materials. This is further substantiated by the improved photocurrent response of the composite. The notable increase of photocatalytic activity of Pr6O11/g-C3N4 heterostructure is ascribed to the improved visible light absorption, reduced band gap and better separation of photogenerated electrons and holes. To the best of our knowledge, this new heterostructure photocatalyst is found to be more efficient for the degradation of AV7 dye compared to the systems reported so far.