A substantial quantity of slag was created throughout the smelting process, but it was mainly utilized for the civil engineering purposes. To encourage sustainable development, efficient utilization of steel slag in advanced applications for green energy has been emphasized. Annual production of CO2 has been reported around 1.85 tonnes per tonne of steel produced from steel industry corresponding to 8% of the total globally CO2 production. In this work, Fe components in steel slag were extracted using oxalic acid to produce FeC2O4 and converted into Fe3O4. Subsequently, graphitic carbon nitride/Fe3O4 (CN/Fe3O4) were prepared as photocatalysts via a co-calcination using melamine, and the extracted FeC2O4. The composite samples were characterized and used for the photocatalytic H2 evaluation and conversion of glucose to lactic acid, which can serve as alternative green energy and substrate in a wide range of chemicals. They are key reactions to support the sustainable development goals for the earth. Interestingly, the optimized CN/Fe3O4 showed higher photocatalytic H2 evolution and glucose conversion with higher selectivity of lactic product yield than pristine CN. The increased rate of both photocatalytic reactions using the CN/Fe3O4 was attributed to its excellent separation and transportation of photogenerated electrons-hole pairs, confirmed by photoluminescence, transient photocurrent response, and electrochemical impedance spectroscopy results. Moreover, the energy-resolved distribution of electron trap (ERDT) pattern for the CN/Fe3O4 composite suggested the transfer of charge carrier via the heterojunction, which was in agreement with the optical and reactivity results. Based on the above, the photocatalytic mechanism for H2 evolution and conversion of glucose to lactic acid over CN/Fe3O4 was proposed. Thus, the CN/Fe3O4 can be employed as a potential visible-light-driven photocatalyst for the energy and environmental aspect.

Fabrication of graphitic carbon nitride/Fe3O4 using extracted FeC2O4 from steel slag for efficient photocatalytic H2 evaluation and glucose conversion

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