Heterojunction Engineering of g‐C₃N₄ with CuO for Enhanced Photocatalytic and Photoelectrochemical Performance

Abstract

While g‐C3N4 gains increasing attention as a polymeric semiconductor material for photo(electrochemical)applications, various strategies are deployed for enhancing the performance of g‐C3N4, among which heterojunction engineering remains the most preferred due to its high simplicity and efficiency. This work uses a facile wet impregnation to obtain a synergistic g‐C3N4/CuO heterojunction with reduced interfacial resistance. Maximum performance is exhibited at a CuO loading of 5% (by weight). The photocatalytic efficiency can be established by assessing ciprofloxacin degradation under visible light irradiation. A photocurrent density of −3.5 mA cm−2 at −0.67 V is observed when the material is used as a photocathode in a neutral medium, and integration with g‐C3N4 can address the stability issues associated with bare CuO photocathodes.