FOTOCATALISADORES À BASE DE g-C3N4 NA DEGRADAÇÃO DE COMPOSTOS FARMACÊUTICOS

• DOI: 10.22533/at.ed.17423031123

• Palavras-chave: Fotocatálise heterogênea, g-C3N4, fármacos.

• Keywords: eterogeneous photocatalysis, g-C3N4, pharmaceutical compounds.

• Abstract: Emerging contaminants, including pharmaceutical compounds, are a major concern in water pollution today due to their recalcitrance. To effectively remove these contaminants, it is crucial to promote their mineralization, converting them into less toxic products. Advanced Oxidative Processes (AOPs) are widely recognized methods for this purpose. They are divided into homogeneous systems, such as direct photolysis, and heterogeneous systems, particularly photocatalysis. Although promising, heterogeneous photocatalysis still has limitations, such as the limited absorption of UV light by common photocatalysts. To overcome this limitation, materials with a greater capacity to absorb visible light are needed. In this sense, photocatalysts based on g-C3N4 have been promising, as they have a narrower band gap, allowing them to absorb visible light. This work reviewed recent studies on heterogeneous photocatalysis with g-C3N4 for the degradation of drugs. The synthesis of this material is usually quick and easy. All the studies carried out photocatalysis tests under visible irradiation or simulated sunlight, which is consistent with the fact that the photocatalyst absorbs this range of the spectrum.  Magnetic photocatalysts have also been explored, with a view to facilitating material recovery and the possibility of reuse. However, some gaps still need to be further studied in order to apply this photocatalyst in the area of emerging contaminants, especially in the application of drug degradation.