Superior uniform carbon nanofibers@g-C₃N₄ core-shell nanostructures embedded by Au nanoparticles for high-efficiency...

Ultrathin g-C₃N₄ nanolayers were uniformly assembled on Au nanoparticles (NPs) decorated carbon nanofiber (CNFs) by a facile gas-solid approach. The mean thickness of g-C₃N₄ shell layers on CNFs-Au supports was about 22.5 nm. The ternary system of as-prepared photocatalysts with superior uniformly core-shell nanostructures present enhanced photocatalytic properties. The rate constants (rhodamine B and K₂Cr₂O₇) of CNFs-Au@g-C₃N₄ were about 3.5 and 4.5 times of g-C₃N₄ powders, respectively. While the rate of H₂-evolution was 2.3-fold of the physical mixture, when the loading amount of Au NPs was about 0.52 At.%. Their excellent photocatalytic activities were attributed to the advantages of their unique core-shell nanostructures and the synergy of the Au NPs as a high-efficiency electron conduction bridge and their surface plasmon resonance (SPR) effect. Moreover, the ternary systems of CNFs-Au@g-C₃N₄ present the gratifying cycling stability in photocatalytic reactions due to their ultra-long core-shell nanostructures. Our work provides a novel route for designing and constructing multicomponent photocatalyst in wastewater treatment and solar energy applications.