Abstract:
In this research, novel visible light–induced Fe
2O
3–carbon nitride intercalation compound (CNIC) composite photocatalyst with different content of α–Fe
2O
3 were synthesized through simple mixing and heat treatment. The composite photocatalyst was characterized by X-ray diffraction (XRD), scanning electron microscopy (SEM), UV–vis diffuse reflection spectroscopy, Fourier transform infrared (FT–IR) spectroscopy and BET surface area measurements. The photocatalytic oxidation ability of the novel composite photocatalyst was evaluated employing methyl orange (MO) as a target pollutant. The experimental results show that Fe
2O
3–CNIC composites with 20% or 30% α–Fe
2O
3 exhibited the higher photocatalytic activity than either single–phase α–Fe
2O
3 or CNIC under visible-light irradiation. The as–prepared composite photocatalyst exhibitedan improved photocatalytic activity due to enhancement of photo-generated electron-hole separations at the interface.