<p>Introducing
heterostructure to graphitic carbon nitrides (g-C<sub>3</sub>N<sub>4</sub>) can
improve the activity of visible-light-driven catalysts for efficient treatment
of multiple toxic pollutants in water. Here we report for the first time that a
complex material can be constructed from an oxygen-doped g-C<sub>3</sub>N<sub>4</sub>
and MIL-53(Fe) metal-organic framework using a facile hydrothermal synthesis and
recycled polyethylene terephthalate from plastic waste. The novel multi-walled
nanotube structure of the O-g-C<sub>3</sub>N<sub>4</sub>/MIL-53(Fe) composite
which enables unique interfacial charge transfer at the heterojunction showed
an obvious enhancement in separation efficiency of the photochemical
electron-hole pairs. This resulted in narrow bandgap energy (2.30 eV compared
to 2.55 eV in O-g-C<sub>3</sub>N<sub>4</sub>), high photocurrent intensity
(0.17 mA cm<sup>-2 </sup>compared to 0.12 mA cm<sup>-2</sup> and 0.09 mA cm<sup>-2</sup>
in MIL-53(Fe) and O-g-C<sub>3</sub>N<sub>4</sub>, respectively), and excellent
catalytic performance in the photodegradation of anionic azo dyes (95% RR 195 and
99% RY 145 degraded after 4 h, and only a minor change in the efficiency
observed after four
consecutive tests). These
results demonstrate the development of new catalysts made from waste feedstocks
that show high stability, ease of fabrication and can operate in natural light
for environmental remediation.</p>