CoSe2 grafted on 2D gC(3)N(4): A promising material for wastewater treatment, electrocatalysis and energy storage

Despite several efforts in the past, the availability of stable and scalable multifunctional catalysts for water treatment and energy storage applications is very sparse. This research work addresses the above concern by grafting CoSe2 nanorods onto 2D gC(3)N(4) using a simple hydrothermal process. The catalytic activity of the synthesized material has been determined by its ability to degrade bisphenol A-an endocrine disruptor and a carcinogen. The photocatalytic results showed 92.37% bisphenol A degradation within 210 min mediating CoSe2-g-C3N4. The pollutant mineralization was verified by carrying the total organic carbon (TOC). The CoSe2- gC(3)N(4) catalyst exhibited 90.31% pollutant mineralization, whereas it was found to be 41.65% and 35.12% for bare CoSe2 and gC(3)N(4), respectively. The catalyst was characterized using XRD, XPS, DRS and HR-TEM. Further, the catalyst large electrochemical active surface area demonstrates a higher potential of 380 mV at a current density of 50 mA/cm(2) (oxygen evolution reaction, OER) and-210 mV at 50 mA/cm(2) (hydrogen evolution reaction, HER). The remarkable specific capacitance of 153F/g at 0.5 A/g (retention of > 80% after 9000 cycles) is evidence of the multifaceted applications of CoSe2-gC(3)N(4) catalyst for energy storage/harvesting concomitant with water remediation.