Tailoring CNF-TiO2-g-C3N4 hybrid aerogels via surface functionalization for efficient visible-light photocatalytic degradation of methyl orange

An innovative surface functionalization route based on heterostructure engineering was employed to incorporate TiO 2 -g-C 3 N 4 photocatalysts onto cellulose nanofibers (CNF), resulting in the fabrication of 3D bio-based aerogel structures. The resulting composite aerogels demonstrated efficient photocatalytic performance, achieving 95% methyl orange removal under visible light irradiation within five hours. The good photocatalytic response of the shaped composite structure is attributed to the high dispersion of photoactive components across the CNF network, promoting effective interaction between the immobilized nanoparticles and the target pollutant. Among the tested formulations, the sample containing 200% photocatalyst relative to CNF (CNF-200TiO 2 -g-C 3 N 4 ) exhibited the highest efficiency, likely due to improved light penetration facilitated by a more porous structure. In addition to enhanced photocatalytic performance, the incorporation of the inorganic phase also led to an improvement in the mechanical properties, increasing from 2.9 to 5.7 times the Young’s modulus value of the CNF-only aerogel. Moreover, the resulting aerogels exhibited good structural stability and sustained photocatalytic activity over three reuse cycles, which means that the composite could be tested in continuous flow systems which usually demand a higher robustness degree.