Evaluating the photocatalytic efficiency of polypyrrole-enhanced Bi₂WO₆/g-C₃N₅ nanocomposites for effective organic pollutant degradation

The effective development of an advanced Z-scheme photocatalytic system, denoted as g-C 3 N 5 @/Bi 2 WO 6 /Ppy, was achieved by incorporating graphitic carbon nitride and Bi 2 WO 6 nanoparticles, which were reinforced with polypyrrole (PPy). In the Z-scheme system, PPy functions as an Ohmic contact as a conductive polymer, thereby enabling the transfer of charge between g-C 3 N 5 and Bi 2 WO 6 . The XRD confirms the crystalline nature of the Bi 2 WO 6 and photocatalyst. The bandgap of the photocatalyst was enhanced, as determined through UV-DRS. BET studies confirms that adding pyrrole to g-C 3 N 5 @/Bi 2 WO 6 significantly increases the surface area of the photocatalyst. Specifically, the 1:10 g-C 3 N 5 @/Bi 2 WO 6 with PPy composition demonstrated exceptional photocatalytic activity, destroying over 96 % of Rhodamine B (RhB) and 98 % of Methylene Blue (MB) in 60 minutes under visible light. The primary species involved in the photocatalytic process are superoxide radicals (O 2 •−) and holes (h + ), according to photoelectrochemical tests and scavenging experiments. In recycling photocatalytic studies, the photocatalysts showed outstanding stability.