Polymeric Granules\nSupported Day–Night Photocatalyst-Based\nFilter for Wastewater Treatment

Establishing an environmentally friendly and sustainable\npurpose\nis essential for addressing significant environmental contaminants.\nIn order to showcase the practicality of photocatalysis for environmental\nremediation, the selection of the catalyst, the method of utilization,\nand the reactor’s design are all equally essential factors.\nIn this study, a visible light-activated day–night photocatalyst\n(g-C<sub>3</sub>N<sub>4</sub>@Gd<sub>2</sub>O<sub>3</sub>@CNT) was\nused to upgrade the efficiency; further, the catalyst was coated on\npolyurethane sponge granules to enhance the available surface area\nof the catalyst. Additionally, the innovative photoreactor comprises\na flat reactor panel constructed from glass and loaded with g-C<sub>3</sub>N<sub>4</sub>@Gd<sub>2</sub>O<sub>3</sub>@CNT@PU catalytic\ngranules. The degradation of methylene blue dye by photocatalysis\nin both the presence (93%) and absence of light (62%) confirmed the\nphotocatalytic effectiveness of the g-C<sub>3</sub>N<sub>4</sub>@Gd<sub>2</sub>O<sub>3</sub>@CNT@PU. Operational conditions were optimized\nfor the flat-packed bed reactor. Furthermore, at optimum conditions,\nthe antimicrobial efficacy of the polymeric amalgam was evaluated\nagainst Escherichia. coli, demonstrating\na remarkable ∼99% reduction in cell viability, thus affirming\nits applicability in wastewater treatment across diverse pollutant\nspectra.