Abstract
[Display omitted]
•In2O3/OGCN nanocomposite by adjustment of oxygen balanced mechanism is successfully fabricated.•Photocatalytic degradation of BPA was enhanced through In2O3/OGCN heterojunction.•Charge transfer between OGCN and In2O3 promote the photoinduced charges separation.•A 3D/2D based heterojunction have a good reusability and recycling stability.
Hybrid semi-conductor heterojunction appears to be a promising technology for pollutant removal and wastewater treatment. However, the interface modification of the heterojunction and the working mechanisms remain elusive, thus impeding the development of highly efficient photocatalysis. In this work, we highlighted the key role played by the 3D/2D In2O3/oxygen doped graphitic carbon nitrides (g-C3N4) heterojunction, named In2O3/OGCN, on the photocatalytic performance. The characteristic results showed a balance of oxygen between In2O3 and OGCN, which enabled a stable interaction in the heterojunction to specifically tune the oxidation power, and this strategy can be applied to rationally control the photocatalytic activity of organic pollutants. The optimized In2O3/OGCN heterojunction demonstrated a notable photocatalytic degradation capability for bisphenol A (BPA), which was better than that of pristine In2O3 and OGCN, respectively. This photocatalyst had a great physical stability and can be recycled for further use. Meanwhile, the exceptional photodegradation capacity was attributed to spatially separated charge carriers, fast-charge transportation characteristics, and the special band gap structure of In2O3/OGCN heterojunction. In addition, the covalent bond between In-O significantly improved oxygen stability in the lattice, thereby increasing the reliability of the material. This research presents a new opportunity to fabricate metal oxides/OGCN heterojunction photocatalysts which have potential application in wastewater treatment by adjusting the oxygen between the two compounds in heterojunction.