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Publication Open Access Fabrication of Naturally Derived Chitosan and Ilmenite Sand-Based TiO2/Fe2O3/Fe-N-Doped Graphitic Carbon Composite for Photocatalytic Degradation of Methylene Blue under Sunlight(MDPI, 2023-04-01) Mendis, A; Thambiliyagodage, C; Ekanayake, G; Liyanaarachchi, H; Jayanetti, M; Vigneswaran, Sfirst_pagesettingsOrder Article Reprints Open AccessArticle Fabrication of Naturally Derived Chitosan and Ilmenite Sand-Based TiO2/Fe2O3/Fe-N-Doped Graphitic Carbon Composite for Photocatalytic Degradation of Methylene Blue under Sunlight by Amavin Mendis 1,Charitha Thambiliyagodage 1,*ORCID,Geethma Ekanayake 1,Heshan Liyanaarachchi 1ORCID,Madara Jayanetti 1 andSaravanamuthu Vigneswaran 2,3,* 1 Faculty of Humanities and Sciences, Sri Lanka Institute of Information Technology, Malabe 10115, Sri Lanka 2 Faculty of Engineering and Information Technology, University of Technology Sydney, P.O. Box 123, Sydney, NSW 2007, Australia 3 Faculty of Sciences & Technology (RealTek), Norwegian University of Life Sciences, P.O. Box N-1432 Ås, Norway * Authors to whom correspondence should be addressed. Molecules 2023, 28(7), 3154; https://doi.org/10.3390/molecules28073154 Received: 15 March 2023 / Revised: 29 March 2023 / Accepted: 30 March 2023 / Published: 1 April 2023 (This article belongs to the Section Materials Chemistry) Download Browse Figures Versions Notes Abstract Fabrication of chitosan and ilmenite sand-based novel photocatalysts through the catalytic graphitization of chitosan is reported. Nanocomposites consisted of TiO2, Fe2O3 and Fe nanoparticles dispersed on a nitrogen-doped graphitic carbon framework. The surface area, pore volume and macropore structure of the carbon matrix is disturbed by the heterogeneously distributed nanoparticles. The extent of graphitization expanded with increasing metal loading as indicated by variation in the ID/IG ratio. The nanomaterial’s surface consists of Fe3+ and Ti4+, and graphitic, pyridinic and pyrrolic nitrogen were found in the carbon matrix. The band gap values of the composites varied in the 2.06–2.26 eV range. The photocatalytic activity of the synthesized nanomaterials was determined, and the highest rate constant for the photodegradation of methylene blue under sunlight was 4.4 × 10−3 min−1, which resulted with 10 mg/L MB and 25 mg of the best-performing catalyst. The rate constant rose with increasing concentrations of persulfate added to the medium. The rate constant greatly diminished with the addition of isopropyl alcohol as it scavenged hydroxyl radicals. The presence of co-pollutants including Pb2+, rhodamine B, PO43− and Cl− curtailed the rate of reaction. The activity reduced with an increasing number of uses of the catalyst.Publication Open Access Recent Advances in Chitosan-Based Applications—A Review(MDPI, 2023-03-03) Thambiliyagodage, C; Jayanetti, M; Mendis, A; Ekanayake, G; Liyanaarachchi, H; Liyanaarachchi, SChitosan derived from chitin has gathered much interest as a biopolymer due to its known and possible broad applications. Chitin is a nitrogen-enriched polymer abundantly present in the exoskeletons of arthropods, cell walls of fungi, green algae, and microorganisms, radulae and beaks of molluscs and cephalopods, etc. Chitosan is a promising candidate for a wide variety of applications due to its macromolecular structure and its unique biological and physiological properties, including solubility, biocompatibility, biodegradability, and reactivity. Chitosan and its derivatives have been known to be applicable in medicine, pharmaceuticals, food, cosmetics, agriculture, the textile and paper industries, the energy industry, and industrial sustainability. More specifically, their use in drug delivery, dentistry, ophthalmology, wound dressing, cell encapsulation, bioimaging, tissue engineering, food packaging, gelling and coating, food additives and preservatives, active biopolymeric nanofilms, nutraceuticals, skin and hair care, preventing abiotic stress in flora, increasing water availability in plants, controlled release fertilizers, dye-sensitised solar cells, wastewater and sludge treatment, and metal extraction. The merits and demerits associated with the use of chitosan derivatives in the above applications are elucidated, and finally, the key challenges and future perspectives are discussed in detail.