Kraft lignin-based carbon xerogel/zinc oxide composite for 4-chlorophenol solar-light photocatalytic degradation: effect of pH, salinity, and simultaneous Cr(VI) reduction

Considering the ever-increasing need for efficient wastewater treatment, this study focused on the development of new kraft lignin-based carbon xerogel/zinc oxide (XCL/ZnO w) photocatalysts. The inclusion of the carbon xerogel is expected to cause an improvement in charge transfer throughout the photoactivation process, consequently enhancing its overall photocatalytic efficiency. Characterization shows that the materials developed are composed of both zinc oxide and carbon xerogel. The addition of the lignin-based carbon xerogel caused a significant morphological modification to the composite materials, resulting in a greater specific surface area. Regarding the photocatalytic efficiency, the optimized composite (XCL/ZnO 1.0) displayed superior efficiency to the pure zinc oxide, especially when calcined at 700 degrees C, with an increase of 20% in the overall photodegradation capacity for the 4-chlorophenol (4CP) molecule. The XCL/ZnO 1.0 also displayed better performance than its tannin counterpart, previously reported in the literature, obtaining a 60% increase in the apparent reaction rate constant. The XCL/ZnO 1.0 also displayed better performance for the simultaneous hexavalent chrome (Cr (VI)) reduction/4CP oxidation reaction. Salinity and system pH had a significant influence on the efficiency of the 4CP photodegradation, as higher values of salinity and lower pHs caused a decrease in the overall efficiency of the process. At last, chronoamperometry and open-circuit potential tests confirmed the superiority of the XCL/ZnO 1.0 over the pure ZnO, highlighting the beneficial impact of the carbon xerogel on the charge transport dynamics of the composite.