Graphitic Carbon Nitride (g-C3N4)/ZnO Perovskite-Based Interface for Sustainable Decontamination of Pollutants from Wastewater Using Visible-Light Driven Photo-Catalysis
Author(s):
Sahima Tabasum1* and Sadhia Tabassum2
The rapid advancement of industrial and agricultural activities has led to an escalation of pollution, with organic pollutants, particularly pesticides, being directly discharged into water bodies. This contamination poses serious environmental and health challenges. Among these pollutants, carbofuran, a widely used pesticide, significantly threatens aquatic ecosystems and human life. To address this issue, innovative approaches are essential to mitigate the adverse effects of carbofuran. Nanocomposites have become promising materials for photocatalytic degradation of organic and inorganic pollutants due to their exceptional physicochemical properties, cost-effectiveness, and high stability. Graphitic carbon nitride, a polymeric material composed of carbon, nitrogen, and trace impurities, is gaining considerable attention for photocatalysis due to its unique semiconducting characteristics and catalytic activity.
Recent studies reveal that doping g-C₃N₄ has high photocatalytic performance under visible light. g-C₃N₄ exhibits superior catalytic efficiency, facilitating the mineralization of Atrazine in aqueous environments. This improved activity is attributed to the synergistic effects of the dopants, which optimize the electronic structure of g-C₃N₄. The advancement of g-C₃N₄-based nanocomposites offers a promising pathway for the development of effective and sustainable solutions to tackle water pollution and safeguard environmental health.
The nanocomposite is synthesized using hydrothermal and microwave techniques. The powder X- ray diffraction technique is employed to identify the crystal structure of a ternary nanocomposite material, specifically focusing on the crystallite size, phase, and defects. The surface morphologies and functional groups are assessed using SEM and Fourier-transform infrared spectroscopy (FTIR). The FTIR analysis reveals the presence of C–N and C=N stretching modes in the heterocycle, characterized by bands ranging from 1200 to 1650 cm−1. The experiment aimed to study the effects of several experimental factors, including pH, time, and Catalyst Dose, on the breakdown of Atrazine.
