Regulation of Thin-Layered g-C 3 N 4 for Efficient Persulfate Photocatalysis of Ibuprofen Contaminated Groundwater

Yunchuan Yang, Jie Li, Yong Li, Yanbin Huang, Zuyang Huang, Gangan Yan, Siran Liang, Yining Zhang, Ke Zeng, Junjie Qi, Shikang Xiong, Jun Liu () and How Yong Ng
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Yunchuan Yang: Qingdao Innovation and Development Center, Harbin Engineering University, Qingdao 266000, China
Jie Li: College of Mechanical and Electrical Engineering, Handan University, Handan 056005, China
Yong Li: CNPC Quality Health Safety Department, Beijing 100007, China
Yanbin Huang: Hebei International Joint Research Center for Computational Optical Imaging and Intelligent Sensing, School of Mathematics and Physics Science and Engineering, Hebei University of Engineering, Handan 056038, China
Zuyang Huang: Guangdong-Hong Kong Joint Laboratory for Water Security, Engineering Research Center of Ministry of Education on Groundwater Pollution Control and Remediation, Center for Water Research, Advanced Institute of Natural Sciences, Beijing Normal University, Zhuhai 519087, China
Gangan Yan: Faculty of Arts and Sciences, Beijing Normal University, Zhuhai 519087, China
Siran Liang: Faculty of Arts and Sciences, Beijing Normal University, Zhuhai 519087, China
Yining Zhang: Faculty of Arts and Sciences, Beijing Normal University, Zhuhai 519087, China
Ke Zeng: Faculty of Arts and Sciences, Beijing Normal University, Zhuhai 519087, China
Junjie Qi: Faculty of Arts and Sciences, Beijing Normal University, Zhuhai 519087, China
Shikang Xiong: Faculty of Arts and Sciences, Beijing Normal University, Zhuhai 519087, China
Jun Liu: Guangdong-Hong Kong Joint Laboratory for Water Security, Engineering Research Center of Ministry of Education on Groundwater Pollution Control and Remediation, Center for Water Research, Advanced Institute of Natural Sciences, Beijing Normal University, Zhuhai 519087, China
How Yong Ng: Qingdao Innovation and Development Center, Harbin Engineering University, Qingdao 266000, China

Sustainability, 2025, vol. 17, issue 7, 1-13

Abstract: The rapid and effective removal of pharmaceuticals and personal care products (PPCPs) from groundwater is challenging. In this paper, porous cyano group-rich g-C 3 N 4 catalysts were prepared by urea (U) and a KOH-assisted thermal polymerization strategy. The thickness, active sites, and pores of g-C 3 N 4 were successfully modulated by urea and KOH-assisted thermal polymerization. In addition, the charge separation efficiency of g-C 3 N 4 was effectively improved by the above methods. We combine the g-C 3 N 4 photocatalyst with peroxymonosulfate (PMS) to achieve the efficient degradation performance of ibuprofen. Meanwhile, we also explored the reaction mechanism of g-C 3 N 4 in the photocatalytically coupled persulfate system, which illustrated the active roles of singlet oxygen and holes in the system in degrading pollutants. Our work demonstrates that the photocatalytically coupled persulfate system is an advanced technology necessary for the deep treatment of PPCPs in groundwater and suggests a feasible strategy for catalyst modulation.

Keywords: ibuprofen in groundwater; PMS activation; groundwater sustainability; g-C 3 N 4 modification; groundwater remediation (search for similar items in EconPapers)
JEL-codes: O13 Q Q0 Q2 Q3 Q5 Q56 (search for similar items in EconPapers)
Date: 2025
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