Plasmonic Hafnium Nitride Nanoparticle‐Decorated Graphitic Carbon Nitride for Plasmon‐Enhanced Photocatalytic Dye Degradation

ABSTRACT Photocatalytic dye degradation under visible light irradiation is restricted by the poor light absorption and the rapid recombination of photogenerated electron‐hole pairs in traditional materials, such as graphitic carbon nitride (g‐CN), hindering their practical applications. In this study, a plasmonic hafnium nitride (HfN)‐decorated graphitic carbon nitride nanocomposite (HfN@g‐CN) was developed by incorporating plasmonic HfN nanoparticles (NPs) into g‐CN. The incorporation of plasmonic HfN NPs enhanced visible light absorption and facilitated efficient electron transfer. Moreover, SEM and TEM analyses confirmed the uniform distribution of HfN on the g‐CN surface. The photocatalytic activity was tested during Rhodamine B (Rh B) dye degradation upon visible light irradiation and achieved a degradation rate of 3.7 × 10⁻ 3 g·h⁻¹·g⁻¹ catalyst, which is 3.7 times higher than that for pure g‐CN. These findings highlight the potential of the developed plasmonic HfN@g‐CN nanocomposite as efficient and stable photocatalysts for practical applications in environmental remediation and solar‐driven chemical processes.