Environmental pollution and rapid consumption of energy and fuel resources are two major issues in the modern world. To address these issues, we engineered a silicate-bridged g-C3N4/NdFeO3 Z-scheme nanocomposite and used it for photocatalytic CO2 conversion, 2,4-DCP degradation, and methanol-assisted H2 evolution. Compared to NdFeO3 and g-C3N4 nanoparticles, the NdFeO3 and g-C3N4 nanosheets, respectively, have larger surface areas, developed morphologies, enhanced charge separation, and improved photocatalytic performance. Remarkably, the introduction of g-C3N4 nanosheets into NdFeO3 nanosheets (NFONS) effectively optimizes the band gap position, promotes charge separation through a Z-scheme electron-transfer mechanism, enlarges the surface area, and improves photocatalytic efficiency. In addition, the silicate (Si-O) bridge served as an electronic bridge charge-transfer facilitator, resolved lattice mismatch, and enhanced photocatalytic efficiency by modulating photoelectrons. Compared with pristine NFONS, the optimized 5CNNS-1.5Si/NFONS nanocomposites delivered a 14.17-fold improvement in CO2 conversion activity, a 7.25-fold increase in photocatalytic 2,4-DCP degradation, and a 2.64-fold increase in methanol-assisted H2 generation. Scavenger experiments and the photocatalytic pollutant degradation mechanism confirmed that photogenerated holes (h+) and superoxide radicals (•O2-) are the dominant reactive species that initiate the photocatalytic activities. Our findings offer valuable insights into the design of Z-scheme nanocomposites and their employment for multifunctional photocatalytic applications.
KW - NdFeO3 nanosheets KW - energy fuels KW - photoelectrons modulation KW - CO2 reduction KW - 2,4-DCP degradation KW - methanol-assisted H2 generation DO - 10.20517/microstructures.2026.128 UR - https://dx.doi.org/10.20517/microstructures.2026.128