Upgrading the photocatalytic achievement of g-C3N4 nanosheets along decoration with Ag@TiO2 nanospheres for the preparation of vitamin B3

In this investigation, synthesis of ternary heterojunctions made of g-C3N4 sheets decorated with Ag@TiO2 nanospheres was successfully achieved. The reaction was initially started by combustion routine adopting silica of mesoporous type as a template to fabricate mesoporous C3N4 of graphite-like structure. After that, g-C3N4 nanosheets were decorated with TiO2 nanospheres and then TiO2 nanospheres were doped with Ag. Ag@TiO2/g-C3N4 ternary heterojunctions having 140 m2 g− 1 specific surface area were produced. The resultant heterojunctions acquired a limited bandgap (2.26 eV) in addition to 3.4 nm pore size. The resultant Ag@TiO2/g-C3N4 nanocomposites were tested applying the photo-catalytic preparation of vitamin B3. It was observed that vitamin B3 could be synthesized adopting mesoporous Ag@TiO2/g-C3N4 ternary heterojunctions with a higher rate (33 times) than that when pristine TiO2 was adopted. The greater photo-catalytic action of the synthesized heterojunction might be correlated to the favorable Vis light absorption as well as the large separation between es and positive holes produced from inclusion of Ti3+ self-doping. In addition, huge amount of active sites was offered owing to the mesoporous network nature of the resultant heterojunctions. Finally, the dopant Ag nanoparticles positively supported the photocatalytic activity by its surface plasma resonance effect.