Construction, Structure And Photocatalysis Of Janus Nanofiber Modified By G-C3n4 Nanosheets Heterostructure Photocatalysts

The construction of photocatalyst with gradient band structure is guided by the principle of band gap engineering. Rational structural design is advanced and applied to construct a new-typed peculiarly structural and functional carbon-based [TiO2/C]//[Bi2WO6/C] Janus nanofiber modified by g-C3N4 nanosheets heterostructure photocatalyst (denoted as TB-JgHP). The flexible carbon-based [TiO2/C]//[Bi2WO6/C] Janus nanofiber with one side responding to ultraviolet light and the other capturing visible light is fabricated by conjugate electrospinning, and then g-C3N4 nanosheets are uniformly grown in-situ on the surface of the Janus nanofibers by using gas-solid reaction via gasification of urea. The optimized TB-JgHP possesses remarkable hydrogen evolution efficiency (17.48 mmol h-1 g-1) and methylene blue degradation rate (99.2%) under simulated sunlight illumination for 100 min, demonstrating prominent dual-functional characteristics. The enhanced photocatalytic performance benefits from the unique Janus structure as well as the synergistic effects among the triple heterostructures of TiO2 and Bi2WO6, g-C3N4 and TiO2, g-C3N4 and Bi2WO6. The formation of gradient band structure among heterostructures is more conducive to the multi-step separation of photo-induced electron-hole pairs and more effective absorption of light. Further, flexible self-standing carbon-based photocatalysts not only have outstanding electron transport performance, but also are easy to separate from solution with preeminent recyclable stability. Based on a series of characterization techniques, it is further proved that TB-JgHP has higher carrier separation efficiency than the counterpart contrast samples. The formation mechanism of TB-JgHP is proposed, and the construction technique is established. The design philosophy and construction technique presented in this work pave a new avenue for research and development of other heterostructure photocatalysts.