TiO-CeO/g-CN S-scheme heterostructure composite for enhanced photo-degradation and hydrogen evolution performance with combined experimental and DFT study.

The g-CN/TiO nanocomposites (NCs) are fabricated by optimization of calcination and subsequent hydrothermal technique decorated with CeO nanoparticles (NPs) to build the g-CN/TiO-CeO hybrid NCs. The chemical and surface characterizations of structural, morphological, elemental composition, optical, photo-degradation, HER performance and the DFT computation has been efficiently analyzed. The g-CN/TiO-CeO composite photocatalysts (PCs) exhibit photocatalytic improved performance (∼97 %) for MB aqueous dye related to pristine g-CN and g-CN/TiO composite PCs. The obtained k value of the g-CN/TiO/CeO heterostructure composite PCs has around 0.0262 min and 6.1, 2.6 and 1.5 times higher than to g-CN (0.0043 min), g-CN/CeO (0.0099 min) and g-CN/TiO (0.0180 min) PCs respectively. Likewise, the synergistic probable S-scheme charge separation mechanism based on scavengers' tests and other values, which leads to effective separation of photo-excited (e-h) pairs, whereas high degradation and more HO molecules have photo-reduction to H. The H evolution reaction (HER) and the electrochemical impedance spectroscopy (EIS) of the as-obtained samples were explored via electrochemical study. This exertion recommends that the rational strategy and building of g-CN/TiO-CeO nano-heterostructures were beneficial for developing visible-light-driven recyclable PCs for ecological refinement.