Novel degradable photocatalysts for wastewater treatment

Abstract

The weakening of the manmade load on the environment has become a global goal of humanity. The accumulation of toxic substances in effluents can increase the acceleration of pollution of the planet’s watersheds, resulting in biota pollution. To solve this problem, it is necessary to create photocatalysts that cause self-excitation under the ignition of light. Also, important parameters of photocatalysts are simple synthesis and low cost. This article demonstrates a one-step approach to the synthesis of carbon nanostructures (CNS) with photocatalytic activity. For this purpose, the “green chemistry ” method is used – hydrothermal treatment of various polysaccharides (sodium dextran sulfate (SDS), starch, pectin), which opens up the possibility of recycling products. A comprehensive study of the properties of the synthesized CNS has been carried out. To study the optical properties of CNS, absorption and luminescence spectroscopy, and IR spectroscopy, have been used. The CNS obtained have been successfully used in the processes of photocatalytic destruction of a model of the organic dye tartrazine, which is widely used in the fiber and textile industries. The effect of lyophilization on the photocatalytic properties of СNS has been studied, and cytotoxicity has been evaluated.