AUTHOR=Zhang Yizhu , Su Shigang , Zhang Yuanyuan , Zhang Xia , Giusto Paolo , Huang Xiaohua , Liu Jian 

TITLE=Visible-Light-Driven Photocatalytic Water Disinfection Toward Escherichia coli by Nanowired g-C3N4 Film

JOURNAL=Frontiers in Nanotechnology

VOLUME=3

YEAR=2021

URL=https://www.frontiersin.org/journals/nanotechnology/articles/10.3389/fnano.2021.684788

DOI=10.3389/fnano.2021.684788

ISSN=2673-3013

ABSTRACT=<p>Graphitic carbon nitride (g-C<sub>3</sub>N<sub>4</sub>) as metal-free visible light photocatalyst has recently emerged as a promising candidate for water disinfection. Herein, a nanowire-rich superhydrophilic g-C<sub>3</sub>N<sub>4</sub> film was prepared by a vapor-assisted confined deposition method. With a disinfection efficiency of over 99.99% in 4 h under visible light irradiation, this nanowire-rich g-C<sub>3</sub>N<sub>4</sub> film was found to perform better than conventional g-C<sub>3</sub>N<sub>4</sub> film. Control experiments showed that the disinfection performance of the g-C<sub>3</sub>N<sub>4</sub> film reduced significantly after hydrophobic treatment. The potential disinfection mechanism was investigated through scavenger-quenching experiments, which indicate that H<sub>2</sub>O<sub>2</sub> was the main active specie and played an important role in bacteria inactivation. Due to the metal-free composition and excellent performance, photocatalytic disinfection by nanowire-rich g-C<sub>3</sub>N<sub>4</sub> film would be a promising and cost-effective way for safe drinking water production.</p>