Previous Article in Journal
Mg-Doped O3-Na[Ni0.6Fe0.25Mn0.15]O2 Cathode for Long-Cycle-Life Na-Ion Batteries
Previous Article in Special Issue
Coupling Advanced Oxidation and Anaerobic Treatment for Landfill Leachate: Magnetite-Catalyzed Ozone and USAB Reactor Efficiency
 
 
Search for Articles:
Title / Keyword
Author / Affiliation / Email
Journal
Article Type
 
 
Advanced Search
 
Section
Special Issue
Volume
Issue
Number
Page
 
Journals
Inorganics
Volume 13
Issue 8
10.3390/inorganics13080262
inorganics-logo
Submit to this Journal Review for this Journal Propose a Special Issue
► Article Menu

Article Menu

share Share announcement Help format_quote Cite question_answer Discuss in SciProfiles
first_page
settings
Order Article Reprints
Font Type:
Arial Georgia Verdana
Font Size:
Aa Aa Aa
Line Spacing:
Column Width:
Background:
This is an early access version, the complete PDF, HTML, and XML versions will be available soon.
Article

Unraveling the Effect of Synthesis Temperature and Metal Doping on the Structural, Optical, and Photocatalytic Properties of g-C3N4 for Enhanced E. coli Photodisinfection and Self-Cleaning Surface Applications

by
D. Fabio Mercado
1,2,*,
Isabel Cristina Ortega Bedoya
3,
Gloria Cristina Valencia
3 and
Ricardo A. Torres-Palma
1,*
1
Grupo de Investigación en Remediación Ambiental y Biocatálisis (GIRAB), Instituto de Química, Facultad de Ciencias Exactas y Naturales, Universidad de Antioquia UdeA, Calle 70 No. 52-21, Medellín 050010, Colombia
2
Programa de Química Farmacéutica, Universidad CES, Calle 10a No. 22-04, Medellín 050031, Colombia
3
Grupo de Investigación Aplicaciones en Fotoquímicas (GIAFOT), Escuela de Química, Facultad de Ciencias, Universidad Nacional de Colombia-Sede Medellín, Calle 59a 63-020 Autopista Norte, P.O. Box 3840, Medellín 050034, Colombia
*
Authors to whom correspondence should be addressed.
Inorganics 2025, 13(8), 262; https://doi.org/10.3390/inorganics13080262
Submission received: 2 June 2025 / Revised: 28 July 2025 / Accepted: 8 August 2025 / Published: 11 August 2025
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Transition Metal Catalysts: Design, Synthesis and Applications)
Versions Notes

Abstract

The development of efficient photocatalytic materials for waterborne pathogen inactivation and self-cleaning surfaces in biomedical applications remains a critical challenge due to the rising prevalence of antimicrobial-resistant bacteria. This study systematically investigates the structural, optical, and photocatalytic disinfection properties of graphitic carbon nitride (g-C3N4) synthesized at variable temperatures (450–600 °C) and doped with transition metals (Mn, Co, Cu). Through FTIR and UV/Vis spectroscopy, we demonstrate that synthesis temperatures between 450 and 550 °C yield a well-ordered polymeric network with enhanced π-conjugation and charge separation, while 600 °C induces structural degradation. Metal doping with Mn and Co significantly enhances photocatalytic disinfection, achieving complete E. coli inactivation (6-log reduction) within 6 h via optimized reactive oxygen species (ROS) generation. The best material (g-C3N4 synthesized at 500 °C and doped with Mn) was integrated into sodium alginate hydrogel surfaces, demonstrating reusable self-cleaning functionality with sustained bactericidal activity (5.9-log CFU/mL reduction after five cycles). This work provides a roadmap for tailoring metal-doped g-C3N4 composites for practical antimicrobial applications, emphasizing the interplay between synthesis parameters, ROS dynamics, and real-world performance.
Keywords: photocatalytic disinfection; graphitic carbon nitride; synthesis temperature optimization; transition metal doping; reactive oxygen species (ROS); bacterial inactivation; hydrogel-based photocatalytic coatings photocatalytic disinfection; graphitic carbon nitride; synthesis temperature optimization; transition metal doping; reactive oxygen species (ROS); bacterial inactivation; hydrogel-based photocatalytic coatings

Share and Cite

MDPI and ACS Style

Mercado, D.F.; Ortega Bedoya, I.C.; Valencia, G.C.; Torres-Palma, R.A. Unraveling the Effect of Synthesis Temperature and Metal Doping on the Structural, Optical, and Photocatalytic Properties of g-C3N4 for Enhanced E. coli Photodisinfection and Self-Cleaning Surface Applications. Inorganics 2025, 13, 262. https://doi.org/10.3390/inorganics13080262

AMA Style

Mercado DF, Ortega Bedoya IC, Valencia GC, Torres-Palma RA. Unraveling the Effect of Synthesis Temperature and Metal Doping on the Structural, Optical, and Photocatalytic Properties of g-C3N4 for Enhanced E. coli Photodisinfection and Self-Cleaning Surface Applications. Inorganics. 2025; 13(8):262. https://doi.org/10.3390/inorganics13080262

Chicago/Turabian Style

Mercado, D. Fabio, Isabel Cristina Ortega Bedoya, Gloria Cristina Valencia, and Ricardo A. Torres-Palma. 2025. "Unraveling the Effect of Synthesis Temperature and Metal Doping on the Structural, Optical, and Photocatalytic Properties of g-C3N4 for Enhanced E. coli Photodisinfection and Self-Cleaning Surface Applications" Inorganics 13, no. 8: 262. https://doi.org/10.3390/inorganics13080262

APA Style

Mercado, D. F., Ortega Bedoya, I. C., Valencia, G. C., & Torres-Palma, R. A. (2025). Unraveling the Effect of Synthesis Temperature and Metal Doping on the Structural, Optical, and Photocatalytic Properties of g-C3N4 for Enhanced E. coli Photodisinfection and Self-Cleaning Surface Applications. Inorganics, 13(8), 262. https://doi.org/10.3390/inorganics13080262

Note that from the first issue of 2016, this journal uses article numbers instead of page numbers. See further details here.

Article Metrics

Article metric data becomes available approximately 24 hours after publication online.
Back to TopTop