Synthesis of graphitic silicon carbide (g-SiC) from gelatin and silica foam for photocatalytic removal of organic and biological pollutants in water

Subject Areas :

maryam  afsharpour ¹ (chemistry and chemical engineering research center of iran)
aref  rostami ² (chemistry and chemical engineering research center of iran)

Received: 2023-01-03 Accepted : 2023-02-09 Published : 2023-02-20

Keywords: Bacteria, Azo dye, Graphitic Silicon Carbide, Metal-free Photocatalyst,

Abstract :

In this research, porous graphitic silicon carbide (g-SiC) doped with nitrogen was synthesized as a metal-free photocatalyst by using silica foam as a silicon source and gelatin as a carbon source. The photocatalytic property of this compound was evaluated in the photocatalytic removal of azo dyes and gram positive and negative bacteria in visible light. The g-SiC showed a very high potential to remove organic pollutants (99 % in 10 minutes) compared to commercial SiC (8 % in 10 minutes). This enhancement in photocatalytic performance is related to the graphenic structure of this compound, which increases electron transfers and reduces the rate of recombination. Also, the oxygen molecules which dissolved in water can adsorbed on positive charged Si atoms in g-SiC structure and produce oxygenated radicals. These radicals can accelerate photocatalytic reactions as an active species. On the other hand, the use of silica foam increases the surface area, and with the nitrogen doping from the gelatin source, more structural defects, higher absorption, and a smaller band gap are created in the structure, which increases the photocatalytic activity. The obtained results show that this compound can remove azo dyes up to 100% and bacteria up to 80%.

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