Investigation of the Structural and Optical Properties of g-C₃N₄/ZrO₂ Nanocomposites

This study used ultrasonication method to prepare graphitic carbon nitride (g-C₃N₄)/zirconium oxide (ZrO₂) nanocomposites with varying ratios. Various approaches were used to characterize the as-prepared nanocomposites. The structural properties were investigated by x-ray diffraction (XRD) and Fourier transform infrared (FT-IR) spectroscopy. XRD patterns showed that pure g-C₃N₄ has a unique peak, while ZrO₂ has a monoclinic phase with no additional phases. The nanocomposites exhibited peaks from both materials, indicating the successful synthesis of the nanocomposites. The optical properties of the nanocomposites were studied using UV–Vis diffuse reflectance spectroscopy (DRS) and photoluminescence spectroscopy. According to Tauc’s plot, the nanocomposites g-C₃N₄:ZrO₂{1:0.5} (CZ1) and g-C₃N₄:ZrO₂{1:2} (CZ2) showed bandgaps of 2.92 eV and 2.93 eV, respectively. The photoluminescence emission of the nanocomposites displayed a broad peak centered at ~ 450 nm. According to the CIE diagram, the nanocomposites exhibited strong emission in the blue region, with 80.4% purity. The average lifetime decay times of the nanocomposites were 0.18 ms and 0.01 ms. Based on these findings, it can be concluded that this material has the potential for use in the field of optoelectronics.