Synthesis of g-C₃N₄/SmFeO₃ nanosheets Z-scheme based nanocomposites as efficient visible light photocatalysts for CO₂ reduction and Congo red degradation

In this research work, g-C₃N₄/SmFeO₃ nanosheets Z-scheme based nanocomposites were effectively synthesized by employing PVP as a structure-manipulating agent. The comparative investigations proved that g-C₃N₄ and SmFeO₃ nanosheets have exceptional performances and photocatalytic activities as compared to SmFeO₃ and g-C₃N₄ nanoparticles. Based on TEM, HRTEM, XRD, DRS, XPS, PL, FTIR, PEC, BET, and FS spectra it is proved that the coupling of CN nanosheets has effectively enlarged the surface area and enhanced the charge separation of SmFeO₃ nanosheets. Compared to pristine SmFeO₃ nanosheets, the most active 3CN-SFOS nanocomposite showed ~ 3.5 times improvement in catalytic activities for CO₂ reduction and Congo red degradation. Adding more, the scavenger tests confirmed that ⋅O²⁻ and ⋅OH are the most active species for decontamination of Congo red. Finally, our present innovative work will open a novel gateway for the preparation of g-C₃N₄/SmFeO₃ nanosheets based Z-scheme nanocomposites and their applications for CO₂ reduction and environment protection. Graphical abstract: [Figure not available: see fulltext.]TOC