A metal-free 3C-SiC/g-C3N4 composite with enhanced visible light photocatalytic activity

Insufficient visible light absorption and fast recombination of the photogenerated electron-hole pairs have seriously hampered the photocatalytic performance of graphitic carbon nitride (g-C3N4) up to now. To break these barriers, a novel metal-free composite based on 3C-silicon carbide (3C-SiC) nanoparticles (NPs) and g-C3N4 sheets was constructed and thoroughly investigated in the research reviewed in this report. Specifically, the enhanced visible light absorption of the 3C-SiC-NP-decorated g-C3N4 composite was verified using absorption spectra, and the effective separation of photogenerated carriers by the Type-II heterostructure band alignment forming between 3C-SiC and g-C3N4 was revealed using both steady-state and time-resolved photoluminescence spectra. The enhanced photocatalytic activity of the 3C-SiC-NP-decorated g-C3N4 composite was demonstrated experimentally using the degradation of methyl orange under visible light irradiation.