Highly Efficient and Exceptionally Durable Photooxidation Properties on Co(3)O(4)/g-C(3)N(4) Surfaces

Water pollution is a significant social issue that endangers human health. The technology for the photocatalytic degradation of organic pollutants in water can directly utilize solar energy and has a promising future. A novel Co(3)O(4)/g-C(3)N(4) type-II heterojunction material was prepared by hydrothermal and calcination strategies and used for the economical photocatalytic degradation of rhodamine B (RhB) in water. Benefitting the development of type-II heterojunction structure, the separation and transfer of photogenerated electrons and holes in 5% Co(3)O(4)/g-C(3)N(4) photocatalyst was accelerated, leading to a degradation rate 5.8 times higher than that of pure g-C(3)N(4). The radical capturing experiments and ESR spectra indicated that the main active species are •O(2)(−) and h(+). This work will provide possible routes for exploring catalysts with potential for photocatalytic applications.