Bio-based waterborne polyester supported oxygeneous graphitic carbon nitride nanosheets as a sustainable photocatalyst for aquatic environment remediation

• Published in: Journal of cleaner production 2021-02, Vol.285, p.124906, Article 124906
• Main Authors: Dutta, Geeti Kaberi, Karak, Niranjan
• Format: Article
• Language: English
• Subjects: Bio-based; Biodegradable; Carbon nitride; Mechanically tough; Photocatalyst; Polyester-support
• ISSN: 0959-6526; 1879-1786
• DOI: 10.1016/j.jclepro.2020.124906

With increasing aquatic environmental concerns, there is demanding requirement of green, facile and efficient methods for wastewater treatment and disposal. In this context, the authors presented an environmentally benign synthesis of bio-based waterborne polyester supported oxygeneous graphitic carbon nitride nanosheets, as a sustainable, metal free and efficient photocatalyst for degradation of organic pollutants. The oxygeneous graphitic carbon nitride nanosheets were synthesized from bio-based reactants via facile and green microwave assisted method with the benefit of very less time and energy. By varying the amount of the nanosheets (0.5, 1 and 2 wt %) in the polyester matrix, three different compositions were fabricated and further characterized by different spectroscopic and microscopic techniques. The thermoset of the fabricated polyester nanocomposite displayed great efficiency towards photocatalytic degradation of phenol (∼90.2%), bisphenol A (∼89.4%), congo red (∼86.8%), methyl orange (∼90.2%) and methylene blue (∼95.1%) with overall degradation rates of 0.0077 min−1, 0.0068 min−1, 0.0075 min−1, 0.0077 min−1 and 0.0085 min−1 respectively. These bio-based photocatalyst are heterogeneous and can be easily recycled up to six cycles of photodegradation with good efficiency. Moreover, the thermosetting nanocomposites also showed good mechanical properties (tensile strength ∼ 17.26–25.22 MPa), good thermal stability (up to 208 °C) and biodegradability against Pseudomonas aeruginosa and Bacillus subtilis bacterial strains. Thus, the polyester supported oxygeneous graphitic carbon nitride was fabricated via a cleaner route and can be used as a sustainable eco-friendly material for aquatic environment remediation. [Display omitted] •Oxy-g-C3N4 nanosheets were synthesized by a facile and green method.•Fabrication of fully bio-based polyester nanocomposite using oxy-g-C3N4 nanosheets.•Thermosets of the nanocomposite act as efficient solar-assisted photocatalyst.•Degradation of CR, MO, MB, Ph and BPA by the thermosets for wastewater treatment.•The thermosets are also found to be mechanically tough and biodegradable.