Photocatalytic g-C₃N₄/poly(2-acrylamido-2-methylpropane sulfonic acid) composite hydrogel triggering the synergetic effect for long-lasting sustainable purifying organic wastewater

Abstract With the development of modern industry, the water pollution is getting severer which causes the huge environmental problems. In this work, the novel photocatalytic polyelectrolyte composite hydrogels based on crosslinked poly(2-acrylamido-2-methylpropane sulfonic acid) equipped with graphite carbon nitride (g-C 3 N 4 ) were exploited via a facile preparation route, which exhibited extremely high removal ratio of 95 % and 94.5 % to Rhodamine B and tetracycline, respectively, through the synergistic effect of adsorption and photodegradation. Remarkably, the recyclability was also observed on the as-prepared hydrogels, which enabled to reuse for 15 times with the few attenuations of removal efficiency to contaminants. This study provides the new insights into the photocatalyst composite hydrogel and possesses the profound significance of the treatment of organic pollutants.