Fabrication of CdS/Ti₃C₂/g-C₃N₄NS Z-scheme composites with enhanced visible light-driven photocatalytic activity

The Ti₃C₂ and g-C₃N₄NS were obtained first, and the CdS/Ti₃C₂/g-C₃N₄NS Z-scheme composites were prepared via a facile hydrothermal synthesis, and their photocatalytic properties were investigated. The g-C₃N₄NS with a high surface area displayed higher adsorption and degradation capacity. Compared with Ti₃C₂/g-C₃N₄NS and CdS, the visible light photocatalytic activity of CdS/Ti₃C₂/g-C₃N₄NS composites was improved. The as-synthesized CTN-4:1 composite exhibited outstanding photocatalytic performance for degradation of orange II, approximately 3.2 and 10.7 times higher than that of Ti₃C₂/g-C₃N₄NS and CdS, respectively. The fabrication of CdS/Ti₃C₂/g-C₃N₄NS Z-scheme heterostructure using Ti₃C₂ as electron transfer medium improved the separation ability of the photoinduced e^--h⁺ pairs, thereby leading to the improvement of visible light-driven photocatalytic activity. This finding provides new insights into the construction of high efficiency Z-scheme heterostructure photocatalyst.