# One-Pot Synthesis of Cellulose-Based Carbon Aerogel Loaded with TiO2 and g-C3N4 and Its Photocatalytic Degradation of Rhodamine B

## TL;DR

This paper describes a new cellulose-based carbon aerogel loaded with TiO2 and g-C3N4 that effectively degrades rhodamine B under visible light.

## Contribution

The study introduces a one-pot synthesis method for a cellulose-based aerogel with TiO2 and g-C3N4 for efficient photocatalytic degradation.

## Key findings

- The CTN aerogel achieved an 89% removal rate of rhodamine B under visible light after 120 minutes.
- The aerogel maintained stability after five reuse cycles.
- The CTN exhibited a large specific surface area and a low density of 0.0209 g/cm³.

## Abstract

A cellulose-based carbon aerogel (CTN) loaded with titanium dioxide (TiO2) and graphitic carbon nitride (g-C3N4) was prepared using sol–gel, freeze-drying, and high-temperature carbonization methods. The formation of the sol–gel was carried out through a one-pot method using refining papermaking pulp, tetrabutyl titanate, and urea as raw materials and hectorite as a cross-linking and reinforcing agent. Due to the cross-linking ability of hectorite, the carbonized aerogel maintained a porous structure and had a large specific surface area with low density (0.0209 g/cm3). The analysis of XRD, XPS, and Raman spectra revealed that the titanium dioxide (TiO2) and graphitic carbon nitride (g-C3N4) were uniformly distributed in the CTN, while TEM and SEM observations demonstrated the uniformly distributed three-dimensional porous structure of CTN. The photocatalytic activity of the CTN was determined according to its ability to degrade rhodamine B. The removal rate reached 89% under visible light after 120 min. In addition, the CTN was still stable after five reuse cycles. The proposed catalyst exhibits excellent photocatalytic performance under visible light conditions.