Abstract
•LaNi0.5Co0.5O3/g-C3N4 based Z-scheme heterostructures prepared via impregnation approach.•LaNi0.5Co0.5O3/g-C3N4 degraded 83% of CR within 120 min.•The first-order kinetic rate was about 3.1 and 5.9 times greater than pristine LaNi0.5Co0.5O3 and g-C3N4.•The sonophotocatalytic degradation demonstrated a substantial synergetic impact.
Sonophotocatalysis is a contemporary energy transfer approach employed for wastewater remediation.
In this study, we describe the fabrication of a sequence of LaNi0.5Co0.5O3/g-C3N4 Z-scheme catalysts with varying amounts of g-C3N4 via a facile impregnation procedure. To comprehend the crystallite structure, microscopic surface, element composition, and chemical oxidation state of the LaNi0.5Co0.5O3/g-C3N4, several characterization methodologies were performed.
The findings demonstrate that the heterojunctions formed between the rhombohedral perovskite-type LaNi0.5Co0.5O3 crystal and g-C3N4 nanosheets boost visible light absorption, aid in the separation of photogenerated electron-hole pairs, and play a critical role in suppressing their recombination thereby substantially improving catalytic activity. Furthermore, the sonophotocatalytic efficacy of these nanohybrids was examined against the removal of Congo Red (CR) dye employing ultrasonic-assisted UV photon stimulation. Consequently, LaNi0.5Co0.5O3/g-C3N4-25 wt.% displayed the optimum degradation, with approximately 83% of CR degraded after 120 min with a first-order kinetic rate of 0.01545 min−1, which was about 3.1 and 5.9 times greater than pristine LaNi0.5Co0.5O3 and g-C3N4, respectively advocating a Z-scheme charge carrier mechanism for the degradation process. The synergistic effect of sonolysis and photolysis has been discussed, and a suitable mechanism was proposed which validates LaNi0.5Co0.5O3/g-C3N4 composite as an affordable and efficient catalyst for environmental remediation.
[Display omitted]