Tailored Citric Acid-Functionalized Carbon Nitride Homojunction-Immobilized Carboxymethyl Cellulose 3D Photocatalytic Hydrogels: A Multifaceted Approach toward Environmental Remediation

The facile development of highly efficient visible light active metal-free homojunction photocatalysts with phenomenal photoelectron migration is emerging as a prominent method for diverse energy and environmental remediation applications. Through an effective cross-linking technique, citric acid-functionalized g-C3N4 homojunction/carboxymethyl cellulose hydrogel beads (ICN/CMC beads) were prepared. The photocatalytic studies of ICN/CMC beads exhibited 87% tetracycline degradation in 40 min under visible light irradiation. The important advantages of ICN/CMC beads are their ease of recovery and reusability of up to 12 cycles. The ICN/CMC beads were capable of producing 2341 mu mol of hydrogen peroxide and 501 mu mol/hg of ammonia production in 60 min under visible light irradiation. The predominant catalytic activity is due to the tuned bandgap of the photocatalyst, which facilitated the effective separation of electron-hole pairs and hindered the recombination of charge carriers. Thus, ICN/CMC beads are affordable and sustainable photocatalysts with multimodal applications.