Revealing the role of kapok fibre as bio-template for In-situ construction of C-doped g-C3N4@C, N co-doped TiO2 core-shell heterojunction photocatalyst and its photocatalytic hydrogen production performance

Mohamad Azuwa Mohamed, MFM Zain, Lorna Jeffery Minggu, Mohammad B Kassim, Juhana Jaafar, Nor Aishah Saidina Amin, Yun Hau Ng

For the first time, C-doped g-C₃N₄@C, N co-doped TiO₂ core-shell heterojunction photocatalyst was successfully prepared by an in-situ one-pot hydrothermal bio-template approach, assisted by calcination treatment at 500 °C. Kapok fibre was used as a bio-templates and in-situ C doping in g-C₃N₄ and TiO₂ during the formation of core-shell heterojunction photocatalyst. Moreover, the used of urea as g-C₃N₄-precursor also contribute to band-gap narrowing by an in-situ carbon and nitrogen doping in TiO₂. Various characterisation techniques were employed to understand the effect TiO₂ precursor concentration on the evolution of core-shell nanostructure heterojunction photocatalyst that can affect and boost the catalytic activity. The detailed understanding of the concurrent growth of C-doped g-C₃N₄ (CCN) and C, N co-doped TiO₂ mechanism, as well as the formation of core-shell nanostructures heterojunction …

https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S016943321930090X