Improved photocatalytic property of lignin-derived carbon nanofibers through catalyst synergy

Converting lignin into high value-added products is essential to reduce our dependence on petroleum resources and protect our environment. In this work, TiO2 and g-C3N4 are loaded in the lignin-derived carbon nanofibers (LCNFs) and an efficient LCNFs-based photocatalytic material (TiO2/g-C3N4@LCNFs) is developed. The spinn-ability of lignin solution, the chemical structure and morphology of the LCNFs, and the catalytic degradation property of the TiO2/g-C3N4@LCNFs for Rhodamine B (RhB) are systematically investigated. The TiO2/g-C3N4@LCNFs achieve a 92.76 % degradation rate of RhB under UV-vis irradiation, which is close to or higher than most reported carbon fiber-based photocatalysts. The excellent degradation property of the photocatalysts can be ascribed to the synergy of TiO2 and g-C3N4, which improves the excitation efficiency of electron and hole, and prolongs the lifetime of electron-hole pairs. We envision that our work will provide some guidance for the development of efficient photocatalysts based on biomass-derived fiber materials.