Abstract
A cellulose-based carbon aerogel (CTN) loaded with titanium dioxide (TiO(2)) and graphitic carbon nitride (g-C(3)N(4)) 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/cm(3)). The analysis of XRD, XPS, and Raman spectra revealed that the titanium dioxide (TiO(2)) and graphitic carbon nitride (g-C(3)N(4)) 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.