ZnO and ZnFe2O4-functionalized graphitic carbon nitride: An XPS study

Composite materials based on graphitic carbon nitride (gCN) and decorated with either ZnO or ZnFe2O4 nanoparticles (NPs) have been fabricated and tested as (photo)electrocatalysts for the ethanol oxidation reaction. In this work, we report on the x-ray photoelectron spectroscopy analysis of two representative composite specimens, obtained by electrophoretic deposition of gCN on carbon cloth substrates, and subsequent functionalization with ZnO or ZnFe2O4 NPs by means of radio frequency-sputtering under mild conditions. In particular, the data reported herein include survey spectra and high-resolution scans for C 1s, N 1s, O 1s, Zn 2p, and Fe 2p regions, together with Zn LMM Auger peaks. The main spectral features are analyzed by comparatively discussing the resulting material properties.