Cellulose/chitosan/g-C3N4 nano-architectured films for visible light induced photocatalytic removal of methylene blue and Cr (VI) from water

The adverse impact of aggravating water pollution levels has exponentially trickled down to each and every component of the biosphere. The engineering of naturally occurring materials such as biopolymers has become an attractive solution for wastewater treatment. In this work, we have fabricated cellulose-based films hybridized with chitosan and g-C3N4 for visible light-induced removal of methylene blue and Cr (VI) ions from water. FE-SEM and X-ray diffraction data revealed a strong association of g-C3N4 in the cellulose chitosan network. The high porosity and specific surface area of cellulose and chitosan in the g-C3N4 network led to an increase in both its adsorption and degradation efficiency. The maximum efficiency of 98% and 96% for both methylene blue photooxidation and Cr (VI) photoreduction process, respectively was observed with the formulation containing 50 wt% g-C3N4. In addition to that, films retained their activity for 5 consecutive cycles showing their high reusability potential. Besides, the proposed films also showed excellent antibacterial properties towards S. aureus bacteria. Therefore, looking at the magnificent green, cost-effective, and simple operational nature of the films, it is anticipated that these films will play a key role in various wastewater treatment technologies.