Development of polymeric carbon nitride-based photocatalysts for effective solar-driven bacterial disinfection

Photocatalytic water disinfection stands out as a promising sustainable alternative to traditional water treatment methods due to its energy efficiency and environmental friendliness. This thesis reports the development of carbon nitride-based photocatalysts for high-performance disinfection of Escherichia coli and methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus under sunlight illumination. The research covers intrinsic modification of carbon nitride via elemental doping and morphology tuning, and extrinsic modification via hybridisation with another photocatalyst for maximised solar energy utilisation and enhanced disinfection performance. For improved commercial applicability, the developed photocatalyst was also evaluated after being coated onto a polymeric water filtration membrane.