Synergistic photocatalysis of VO2-A/g-C3N4 composites for efficient degradation of anionic and cationic dyes: Towards a sustainable environmental solution
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Date
2025
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Abstract
Due to the outflow of dye effluent from numerous industrial operations, dye pollution is a severe environmental
issue. Because of its efficiency and environmental friendliness, photocatalytic degradation is a technology
promising for treating dye pollutants. This study used a simple hydrothermal process to synthesise VO2-A/g-C3N4
nanocomposite and its photocatalytic activity for the breakdown of anionic dyes (Xylenol Orange (XO, Rose
Bengal (RB)) and cationic dyes (Crystal Violet (CV), Auramine O (AO)) and Mix dyes (1:1 mixture of anionic and
cationic dyes) were assessed. XRD, XPS, SEM, FTIR, Photoluminescence, TEM, UV-DRS and BET analysis were
used to characterize the nanocomposite.SEM and TEM analyses revealed a distinct morphology of the VAG-4
nanocomposite, with small, irregular VO2-A nanoparticles dispersed and wrapped around the g-C3N4 surface.
UV-DRS analysis, using the Tauc relation, indicated that VO2-A incorporation shifted the absorption edge to
longer wavelengths, with VAG-4 showing a peak at 487 nm (1.91 eV). BET analysis of VAG-4 shows a specific
surface area of 47.1 m2/g, a pore volume of 0.2125 cm3/g, and an average pore size of 27.9 nm, supporting its
potential for effective photocatalytic applications. We assessed the photocatalytic activity ofVO2-A/g-C3N4
nanocomposite for the degradation of the anionic dyes (RB, XO), cationic dyes (AO, CV) and Mix dyes. The
results demonstrated that the VAG-4 nanocomposite with degradation percentages of RB (83.5 %), XO (75.5 %),
AO (73.4 %), and CV (78.2 %) exhibited more enhanced photocatalytic activity than the individual precursors.
The nanocomposite’s outstanding photocatalytic activity suggests that it has the potential for practical appli
cations in environmental cleanup.