Synergistic role of alginate hydrogel in the photocatalytic activity of ZnO-gC3N4

IF 2.3 4区材料科学 Q2 MATERIALS SCIENCE, CERAMICS

Journal of Sol-Gel Science and Technology Pub Date : 2025-03-03 DOI:10.1007/s10971-025-06706-8

MD Furqaan Valiyathur, A. Ahmed Raza, Anver Basha Kottur, Mohammed Safiullah Sakvai

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Abstract

Developing efficient and environmentally friendly photocatalysts for dye degradation remains a significant challenge. In this study, we strengthened the ZnO-gC₃N₄ (ZG) heterojunction photocatalyst by incorporating it into a crosslinked alginate hydrogel (CA), forming a novel Alg-based photocatalyst (CAZG). The CAZG demonstrated enhanced optical properties and improved photocatalytic degradation of methylene blue (MB) under UV-vis irradiation. The resulting materials (CA, ZG, and CAZG) were meticulously characterized via Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy (FTIR), X-ray diffraction (XRD), Thermogravimetric analysis (TGA) and UV-vis Diffuse Reflectance spectroscopy (UV-vis DRS) techniques to determine their structural, thermal and optical properties. The photocatalytic performance of ZG and CAZG showed maximum MB degradation efficiencies of 65.34% and 73.46% respectively, at a concentration of 1 × 10⁻⁵M after 60 min of UV-vis exposure. The integration of ZG (3.1 eV) into the alginate matrix resulted in a diminished bandgap structure for the CAZG (2.47 eV), enhancing optical properties and promoting photocatalytic activity. This study presents a sustainable approach to develop biocompatible and economically feasible photocatalysts for environmental applications.

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来源期刊

Journal of Sol-Gel Science and Technology 工程技术-材料科学：硅酸盐

CiteScore

4.70

自引率

4.00%

发文量

280

审稿时长

2.1 months

期刊介绍： The primary objective of the Journal of Sol-Gel Science and Technology (JSST), the official journal of the International Sol-Gel Society, is to provide an international forum for the dissemination of scientific, technological, and general knowledge about materials processed by chemical nanotechnologies known as the "sol-gel" process. The materials of interest include gels, gel-derived glasses, ceramics in form of nano- and micro-powders, bulk, fibres, thin films and coatings as well as more recent materials such as hybrid organic-inorganic materials and composites. Such materials exhibit a wide range of optical, electronic, magnetic, chemical, environmental, and biomedical properties and functionalities. Methods for producing sol-gel-derived materials and the industrial uses of these materials are also of great interest.