In Situ Solid‐State Synthesis of a AgNi/g‐C3N4 Nanocomposite for Enhanced Photoelectrochemical and Photocatalytic Activity

Abstract A graphitic carbon nitride (g‐C3N4) polymer matrix was embedded with AgNi alloy nanoparticles using a simple and direct in situ solid‐state heat treatment method to develop a novel AgNi/g‐C3N4 photocatalyst. The characterization confirms that the AgNi alloy particles are homogeneously distributed throughout the g‐C3N4 matrix. The catalyst shows excellent photoelectrochemical activity for water splitting with a maximum photocurrent density of 1.2 mA cm−2, which is the highest reported for doped g‐C3N4. Furthermore, a detailed experimental study of the photocatalytic degradation of Rhodamine B (RhB) dye using doped g‐C3N4 showed the highest reported degradation efficiency of approximately 95 % after 90 min. The electronic conductivity increased upon incorporation of AgNi alloy nanoparticles on g‐C3N4 and the material showed efficient charge carrier separation and transfer characteristics, which are responsible for the enhanced photoelectrochemical and photocatalytic performance under visible light.