Polymeric g-C3N4Coupled with NaNbO3Nanowires toward Enhanced Photocatalytic Reduction of CO2into Renewable Fuel

Visible-light-responsive g-C 3 N 4 /NaNbO 3 nanowires photocatalysts were fabricated by introducing polymeric g-C 3 N 4 on NaNbO 3 nanowires. The microscopic mechanisms of interface interaction, charge transfer and separation, as well as the influence on the photocatalytic activity of g-C 3 N 4 /NaNbO 3 composite were systematic investigated. The high-resolution transmission electron microscopy (HR-TEM) revealed that an intimate interface between C 3 N 4 and NaNbO 3 nanowires formed in the g-C 3 N 4 /NaNbO 3 heterojunctions. The photocatalytic performance of photocatalysts was evaluated for CO 2 reduction under visible-light illumination. Significantly, the activity of g-C 3 N 4 /NaNbO 3 composite photocatalyst for photoreduction of CO 2 was higher than that of either single-phase g-C 3 N 4 or NaNbO 3 . Such a remarkable enhancement of photocatalytic activity was mainly ascribed to the improved separation and transfer of photogenerated electron–hole pairs at the intimate interface of g-C 3 N 4 /NaNbO 3 heterojunctions, which originated from the well-aligned overlapping band structures of C 3 N 4 and NaNbO 3 .