Constructing Te doped-CeO2/g-C3N4 heterojunction nanocomposite for visible-light-driven photodegradation of dye pollutant

Industrial wastewater is a particular threat to humans and the surrounding environment, therefore, the design of visible light photocatalysts is urgently required for wastewater treatment. Here, Te-doped CeO2 (CeTeO2) and its heterostructure composite with g-C3N4 (CeTeO2/g-C3N4) catalysts were synthesized via simple sol-gel and ultrasonication techniques. Several characterization tools were used to confirm the composition, morphology, structure, light absorption, and surface features of the CeTeO2 and CeTeO2/g-C3N4 samples. XRD and FTIR confirmed the structural features, BET analysis showed CeTeO2/g-C3N4 gains higher surface area, SEM analysis revealed the morphology, and EDX confirmed the elemental composition. Optical band gaps 2.85 eV and 2.67 eV for CeTeO2 and CeTeO2/g-C3N4 were calculated from UV–vis data. The synthesized catalysts were tested for photocatalytic application, and CeTeO2/g-C3N4 showed excellent results against methylene blue (MB), having 99.9 % degradation efficiency in 60 min. The excellent catalytic results were credited to the S-scheme CeTeO2/g-C3N4 heterojunction, which broadened the absorption in visible spectra and increased redox ability. A model of charge transfer was proposed based on the results that were attained.