Synthesis and characterization of AgCl@graphitic carbon nitride hybrid materials for the photocatalytic degradation of atrazine

Mesoporous graphitic carbon nitride (pg-C3N4) was prepared via pyrolysis of dicyandiamide and urea in an air atmosphere. AgCl@pg-C3N4 nanocomposites were synthesized using a modified precipitation technique. pg-C3N4 and AgCl@pg-C3N4 nanocomposites were characterized using XRD, BET, UV-Vis spectroscopy, PL, TEM, and XPS techniques. The results reveal that AgCl was well dispersed on the surface of the pg-C3N4. The photocatalytic degradation of atrazine under visible light irradiation was used to measure the photocatalytic performance of the pg-C3N4 and AgCl@pg-C3N4 nanocomposites. The photocatalytic activity of the AgCl@pg-C3N4 nanocomposite has higher photocatalytic activity than the pg-C3N4 nanoparticles. The reason for the high photocatalytic activity of the AgCl@pg-C3N4 nanocomposite may be due to the synergic effect between AgCl and pg-C3N4. The photocatalytic degradation of atrazine follows a first order reaction. (C) 2014 Elsevier Ltd and Techna Group S.r.l. All rights reserved.