Work

Electrospun g-C3N4/Ti3C2Tx/Cu2O Z-scheme heterojunction nanofibers for efficient visible-light photocatalytic degradation of dyes and PPCPs with robust reusability

Year: 2025

Type: article

Abstract: A novel reusable Z-scheme g-C3N4/Ti3C2TX/Cu2O nanofiber membrane (CTC-NFs) was innovatively fabricated via electrospinning, effectively overcoming recyclability and stability issues common to traditional photocatalysts in wastewater treatment. Incorporation of Ti3C2TX and Cu2O into g-C3N4 expanded visible-light absorption and significantly improved electron-hole separation efficiency. Under visible illumination, CTC-NFs exhibited remarkable degradation efficiencies for methyl orange (95.2%), methylene blue (98.4%), and rhodamine B (95.9%), substantially outperforming pure g-C3N4 (46.2%), g-C3N4/Ti3C2TX (76.0%), g-C3N4/Cu2O (78.7%), and Cu2O alone (84.2%). It also effectively degraded pharmaceutical pollutants such as ibuprofen (89.0%), diclofenac sodium (83.7%), tributyl phosphate (97.8%), and levofloxacin (91.3%). Notably, performance remained consistently high (95.6% to 93.9%) after five reuse cycles, confirming superior stability and practical reusability. Enhanced activity was attributed to Ti3C2TX’s exceptional conductivity facilitating rapid electron transport and reducing electron-hole recombination, while ESR confirmed robust reactive oxygen species generation. This ternary Z-scheme nanofiber membrane thus represents a scalable, high-performance platform for visible-light-driven environmental remediation.

Source: Environmental Technology & Innovation

DOI: 10.1016/j.eti.2025.104633

Authors: Zilin Chen, Dan Liao, Madiha Rafiq, Changkun Liu

Institution: Shenzhen University

Language: English

Topic: Advanced Photocatalysis Techniques

Subfield: Renewable Energy, Sustainability and the Environment

Field: Energy

Domain: Physical Sciences

SDGs: Clean water and sanitation, Responsible consumption and production

Open Access status: gold

Estimated APC paid: $2,930