Photocatalytic Applications of Cardanol-Derived meso-Metalloporphyrins Based g-C3N4 Nanocomposites

Graphitic carbon nitride (g-C3N4) is a polymer conjugated composed of carbon and nitrogen atoms in a graphite-like structure. Despite its structure, its catalytic potential is limited due to its small surface area, abundance of electron pairs, and low UV absorption. Recent research has focused on synthesizing nanocomposites from g-C3N4 and meso-metalloporphyrins, which exhibit synergistic properties for photocatalysis through π-π interactions. This study aims to synthesize zinc (ZnP) and palladium (PdP) meso-metalloporphyrins from cardanol, a major constituent of cashew nut shell liquid (CNSL), to create g-C3N4 nanocomposites. These systems were characterized using UV-vis, FT-IR, NMR, TGA, and SEM, and applied to reduce 4-nitrophenol (4-NP) in wastewater to the less toxic 4-aminophenol (4-AP). The synthesis of g-C3N4 with PdP and ZnP produced new nanocomposites, g-C3N4/PdP and g-C3N4/ZnP, with yields of 43% and 16%, respectively. These materials demonstrated significant success in the photocatalytic reduction of 4-NP, highlighting the potential of renewable catalysts and promoting cleaner chemical processes, thereby reducing environmental impact.