Sorghum grain as a bio-template: emerging, cost-effective, and metal-free synthesis of C-doped g-C3N4 for photo-degradation of antibiotic, bisphenol A (BPA), and phenol under solar light irradiation.

Shirvani M, Zhang T, Gu Y, Hosseini-Sarvari M

Published: 25 December 2024 in Environmental science and pollution research international
Keywords: 3D micro, C3N4, Organic pollutants, Solar light, Doped g, Templated porous (BTP)C, Tubular bio
Pubmed ID: 39754624
DOI: 10.1007/s11356-024-35868-1

Due to the industry's rapid growth, the presence of organic pollutants, especially antibiotics, in water and wastewater resources is the main concern for wildlife and human health. Therefore, these days, a significant challenge is developing an efficient, sustainable, and eco-friendly photocatalyst. Natural biological models have numerous advantages compared to artificial model materials. Biological models with unique multi-level structures and morphology can be used to create porous bio-templates to produce hierarchical materials. So, in this work, for the first time, this was achieved by using sorghum grain seeds as a bio-template (natural waste material) and urea as a precursor, through a simple and environmentally friendly method. We believed that natural waste materials with high carbon atom content could be used as both a carbon doping agent and a bio-template, thus improving the physical and optical properties of the resulting materials. In comparison to previous studies on the synthesis of C-doped g-C3N4, our work offers a greener and more cost-effective approach to synthesis, while also reducing waste material. We succeeded in the photo-degradation of a series of organic pollutants such as phenol, bisphenol A (BPA), and amoxicillin (AMX) in an aqueous solution under solar light illumination.