Facile synthesis, characterization and optical properties of Ag₂WO₄ incorporated g-C₃N₄ hybrid composites for H₂ production

The hydrothermal approach was used to synthesise a composite photocatalyst of Ag₂WO₄/g-C₃N₄. This photocatalyst proved effective in preventing Escherichia coli (E. coli) when exposed to visible light. Imaging microscopy, transmission electron microscopy (TEM), X-ray diffraction (XRD), Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy (FTIR), N₂ adsorption–desorption analysis, UV–Vis diffuse reflectance spectra (DRS), and photoluminescence (PL) were among the many methods used to comprehensively characterize the photocatalysts’ physicochemical characteristics. In comparison to pure g-C₃N₄ and Ag₂WO₄ under visible light, the produced photocatalysts demonstrated significantly improved photocatalytic cleaning efficiency. In addition, under visible light irradiation for 60 min, a mixture of 5 percent Ag₂WO₄ and 100 milligrammes of g-C₃N₄ was able to entirely kill many live bacteria. The ideal mass ratio for this combination was 5 weight percent. By working in tandem, g-C₃N₄ and Ag₂WO₄ increase the separation rate of photogenerated electron–hole pairs and ensure that Ag₂WO₄ particles are evenly distributed over the g-C₃N₄ surface, leading to a high disinfection efficiency. These hybrids outperform pure g-C₃N₄ in the visible range when it comes to the efficiency of hydrogen evolution (3761.1 µmol h⁻¹ g⁻¹). A higher degree of photocatalytic activity may be achieved in the composite Ag₂WO₄/g-C₃N₄ photocatalyst through boosting the spacing of charge carriers produced by photons in the two photocatalysts.