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

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 biobased 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 (similar to 90.2%), bisphenol A (similar to 89.4%), congo red (similar to 86.8%), methyl orange (similar to 90.2%) and methylene blue (similar to 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 - similar to 17.26-25.22 MPa), good thermal stability (up to 208 degrees 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. (C) 2020 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Automated summary

The study presents a bio-based waterborne polyester supported oxygeneous graphitic carbon nitride nanosheets as an efficient photocatalyst for organic pollutant degradation. By utilizing a simple and green synthesis method, the nanosheets exhibit high degradation efficiency and recyclability, making them a sustainable option for water environment remediation.