Mesostructured TiO₂–g-C₃N₄ Hybrid Nanocomposites: A Potential Solar-Driven Solution for Textile Dye Pollution

Abstract

The development of efficient solar-driven photocatalysts is crucial for sustainable treatment of dye-contaminated textile wastewater. In this study, a mesostructured titania/graphitic carbon nitride hybrid nanocomposite (MTNCN) was successfully synthesized via a sol–gel method and evaluated for the photodegradation of methylene blue (MB) under ultraviolet, visible, and solar irradiation. The structural and physicochemical properties of the synthesized materials were systematically characterized using X-ray diffraction (XRD), field emission scanning electron microscopy with energy-dispersive X-ray analysis (FESEM–EDX), N₂ adsorption–desorption (BET) analysis, and UV–Vis diffuse reflectance spectroscopy (UV-Vis DRS). The results confirmed the successful incorporation of CN into MTN, leading to enhanced textural and optical properties attributed to the formation of an effective heterojunction. Among all samples, MTNCN exhibited superior photocatalytic activity, achieving 78.2% MB degradation within 30 min and 97.3% after 180 min under solar irradiation, outperforming both pristine MTN and CN, even under UV light. The enhanced performance under solar irradiation highlights the strong potential of MTNCN as an efficient and sustainable photocatalyst for textile dye wastewater remediation.