In Situ Solid‐State Synthesis of a AgNi/g‐C₃N₄ Nanocomposite for Enhanced Photoelectrochemical and Photocatalytic Activity

Abstract

Abstract A graphitic carbon nitride (g‐C 3 N 4 ) polymer matrix was embedded with AgNi alloy nanoparticles using a simple and direct in situ solid‐state heat treatment method to develop a novel AgNi/g‐C 3 N 4 photocatalyst. The characterization confirms that the AgNi alloy particles are homogeneously distributed throughout the g‐C 3 N 4 matrix. The catalyst shows excellent photoelectrochemical activity for water splitting with a maximum photocurrent density of 1.2 mA cm −2 , which is the highest reported for doped g‐C 3 N 4 . Furthermore, a detailed experimental study of the photocatalytic degradation of Rhodamine B (RhB) dye using doped g‐C 3 N 4 showed the highest reported degradation efficiency of approximately 95 % after 90 min. The electronic conductivity increased upon incorporation of AgNi alloy nanoparticles on g‐C 3 N 4 and the material showed efficient charge carrier separation and transfer characteristics, which are responsible for the enhanced photoelectrochemical and photocatalytic performance under visible light.