Graphitic Carbon Nitride/CeO2 Nanocomposite for Photocatalytic Degradation of Methyl Red

Nanosized ceria (CeO2) and a graphitic carbon nitride-loaded ceria (CeO2/GCN) nanocomposite were synthesized using a straightforward and efficient method and characterized by XRD, FTIR, SEM, TEM, TGA, and BET analyses. These techniques confirmed that CeO2 was effectively supported on the surface of GCN, with particle sizes of the CeO2/GCN composite in the range of 10–15 nm and a pore size of 3.33 nm. The photocatalytic activity of the CeO2/GCN nanocomposite and CeO2 NPs in the degradation of methyl red dye under sunlight radiation was studied using UV–visible spectroscopy. A noticeable red shift in the CeO2/GCN nanocomposite compared to pure CeO2 NPs suggests a reduction in its band gap energy, calculated at 3.90 eV for CeO2 NPs and 2.97 eV for the CeO2/GCN nanocomposite. This band gap reduction enhances the photocatalytic degradation process, achieving a removal efficiency of 99.92% within a short irradiation time of 40 min for the CeO2/GCN nanocomposite, compared to 69.47% for CeO2 NPs. These findings indicate that graphitic carbon nitride significantly enhances the photocatalytic properties of CeO2 NPs.