Reduced graphene oxide-modified Z-scheme g-C₃N₄/CdS photocatalyst with a staggered structure for the enhanced photoreduction of CO₂

A Z-scheme g-C₃N₄/CdS@rGO photocatalyst with a staggered structure to enhance the photoreduction of CO₂ under UV-Vis light irradiation has been investigated. TEM images show that g-C₃N₄/CdS@rGO has a unique lamellar staggered structure. Photoelectrochemical characterization explains that the lamellar staggered structure effectively improves the separation and transport capabilities of electrons. ESR and energy band position analysis prove that the electron transfer path of g-C₃N₄/CdS conforms to the Z-scheme mechanism. The π-π conjugation effect of reduced graphene oxide (rGO) and g-C₃N₄ effectively promotes the excitation of electrons on g-C₃N₄, and rGO can reduce the corrosion of CdS and improve its stability. Lastly, the lamellar staggered structure that improves the photocatalytic CO₂ reduction ability is discussed in detail, and the possible mechanism of the CO₂ reduction reaction has been explored by in situ FT-IR.