Development of g-C3N4/Ag2SiO4 Heterostructures for the Photodegradation of Organic Pollutants of Interest

• Grant number: 24/15850-4
• Support Opportunities: Scholarships in Brazil - Scientific Initiation
• Start date: December 01, 2024
• End date: November 30, 2025
• Field of knowledge: Physical Sciences and Mathematics - Chemistry - Physical-Chemistry
• Principal Investigator: Elson Longo da Silva
• Grantee: Mayra Luiza Gonçalves Rodrigues
• Host Institution: Centro de Ciências Exatas e de Tecnologia (CCET). Universidade Federal de São Carlos (UFSCAR). São Carlos , SP, Brazil

Abstract

In recent decades, population growth and industrial development have increased the production of pharmaceuticals, especially antibiotics, which has negatively impacted the environment. Antibiotics like sulfamethoxazole (SMX) are difficult to eliminate due to their chemical stability and persistence, often being excreted largely by the human body. Traditional wastewater treatment methods face challenges in effectively removing these compounds, particularly in biological processes. As a solution, Advanced Oxidative Processes (AOPs), such as heterogeneous photocatalysis (HP), have gained prominence. In this context, this work proposes the synthesis of g-C3N4 and Ag2SiO4 nanoparticles to form type II heterojunctions, aiming to improve charge separation and increase the efficiency in the photodegradation of organic pollutants, such as rhodamine B and SMX, under visible light radiation. Concurrently, the products prepared at different concentrations will be characterized using X-ray diffraction (XRD), Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy (FT-IR), Raman spectroscopy, scanning electron microscopy (SEM), ultraviolet-visible absorption spectroscopy (UV-Vis), and photoluminescence (PL) spectroscopy.