Search

Dual heterojunctions-based Au@TiO2 photoelectrode with Schottky junction and facet heterojunction exhibiting efficient charge separation and high PEC removal ability towards methyl orange under visible light.

In this study, a floating FeMo

As the application of biodegradable polymers has grown, so has the interest in exploring the environmental behaviors of biodegradable microplastics (MPs). In this study, we investigated the interaction of oxytetracycline (OTC) with poly(butylene adipate-co-terephthalate) (PBAT) MPs after biodegradation, and explored the effect of the coexisting Cu(II) on OTC adsorption and desorption processes. The maximum adsorption amounts of virgin PBAT, biofilm PBAT, and degraded PBAT reached 692.05 μg·g

A novel A/R-TiO

Directionally solidified Al2O3/Er3Al5O12 (EAG) eutectic ceramics are characterized by high melting point, improved high-temperature flexural strength, and high fracture toughness. Therefore, they have recently attracted considerable attention as candidates for high-temperature (>1500 °C) structural materials. In this work, directionally solidified Al2O3/EAG eutectic ceramics were prepared by the optical floating zone technique. 2D and 3D microstructures were observed by scanning electron microscopy and X-ray computerized tomography. The effect of thermal gradient and the solidification rate on Al2O3/EAG eutectic microstructure was investigated. The microstructure was completely irregular, exhibiting 3D interconnected microstructure. The size of eutectic microstructure decreased with increasing growth rate. Stable coupled-growth can be obtained when the solidification rate is less than 60 mm/h. Fracture toughness of Al2O3/EAG eutectic ceramics prepared with a withdrawal rate of 40 mm/h, measured by indentation tests, was KIC = 5.7 ± 0.3 MPa m1/2 and the hardness was HV = 14.5 ± 0.4 GPa. Interfaces between Al2O3 and the EAG phases play important role in improving fracture toughness. The characterization of microstructure and mechanical properties of Al2O3/EAG eutectic ceramics may provide guidance for microstructure design and reveal the deformation mechanisms of Al2O3/EAG eutectic ceramics.

In discovery of novel HDAC inhibitory with anticancer potency, pharmacophores of phenanthridine were introduced to the structure of HDAC inhibitors. Fatty and aromatic linkers were evaluated for their solubility and activity. Both enzyme inhibitory and in vitro antiproliferative (against U937 cells) screening results revealed better activities of compounds with aromatic linker than molecules with fatty linker. Compared with SAHA (IC50 values of 1.34, 0.14, 2.58, 0.67 and 18.17 µM), molecule Fb-4 exhibited 0.87, 0.09, 0.32, 0.34 and 17.37 µM of IC50 values against K562, U266, MCF-7, U937 and HEPG2 cells, respectively. As revealed by cell cycle and apoptotic analysis, induction of G2/M phase arrest and apoptosis plays an important role in the inhibition of MCF-7 cells by Fb-4. Generally, a potent HDAC inhibitor was developed in the present study which could be utilised as a lead compound for further anticancer drug design.

In this article, a dynamic mechanical analyzer (DMA) was applied to investigate the mechanical properties of ferroelectric BaTiO3 and PZT ceramics. Ferroelectric to paraelectric phase transitions w...

Few studies have mentioned the enrichment of heavy metal pollutants on microplastics derived from degradable plastics. This study investigated the adsorption behavior of Pb(II) onto biodegradable poly(butylene succinate) (PBS) microplastics during its biodegradation. The results indicated that Pb(II) adsorbed by biofilm-colonized biodegraded-PBS microplastics (B-PBS) was about 10-folds higher than that of virgin PBS (647.09 μg·g

In this study, expanded perlite supported oxygen vacancies-CuFe

Harmful algae pollution has become the most concerned environment issue as the serious eutrophication spreads in natural waters all over the world. Highly efficient TiO2 photocatalysis is considered as a promising technique to achieve the inactivation of harmful algae using light energy. Herein, we prepare TiOX (X = N and P) photocatalyst with high activity via a facile sol-gel method in an oxygen deficient environment. The results show that the oxygen deficient environment can enhance the doping process, and the N and P can be successfully doped into TiO2 crystal by controlling the calcination temperature. The as-prepared TiOX particles can be assembled to a porous structure with a high specific surface area, which is beneficial to the adsorption of algal cells. The substitution of oxygen and the oxygen containing functional groups gives rise to disorder of the TiO2 crystal, thus tuning the light absorption capacity and promoting the separation of photogenerated charge carriers. Among the TiOX photocatalysts, the TiOX prepared at 550 °C exhibits the best photocatalytic performance with an algal inactivation rate of 81.5% for Microcystis aeruginosa following 6 h visible light irradiation, which can be attributed to the good synergetic effect of adsorption and photocatalysis. The deformation in algal morphology and disorder in cellular metabolism further confirms the inactivation process. The TiOX photocatalyst is also found to be able to effectively remove cytotoxins, which demonstrate that it holds substantial promise for the remediation of harmful algae polluted water.

In this study, an environmentally friendly struvite-loaded zeolite (S-NZ), prepared by nutrient recovery from swine biogas slurry, was used in the simultaneous removal of Cu (II) and tetracycline (TC) in solution for the first time. The adsorption behavior was systematically studied by accessing solution pH, kinetics, equilibriums in sole and binary systems. The results showed that the adsorption of Cu(II) and TC was fast and remarkably affected by solution pH due to pH-dependent speciation of adsorbates and the zeta potential of the S-NZ. Adsorption isotherms of TC and Cu(II) in binary system were well fitted by the Langmuir model and competitive Langmuir model, with the maximum adsorption capacities of 197.53 mmol TC/kg and 379.42 mmol Cu(II)/kg, respectively. The removal of TC could be significantly enhanced when Cu(II) coexisted, but not vice versa. Besides, the Coulombic interaction in the binary system at different pH was further supported by calculating relative charge distribution over the entire Cu(II)-TC complex and postulating the orientation of Cu-TC complex on the surface of S-NZ. Moreover, dissolved organic matter (DOM) impeded the adsorption of TC and Cu (II) onto S-NZ because of its formation of complex with Cu(II) and TC. This study shows new guidelines and useful methods for nitrogen and phosphorus recovery from livestock and poultry biogas slurry as well as its application in heavy metals and antibiotic pollution control.

Harmful algae pollution in eutrophic waters represents one of the most serious problems in natural water environment. Adsorption assisted photocatalytic inactivation is often considered as a promising method to achieve the clean-up of harmful algae and the remediation of eutrophic water. Here, we synthesize the NP TiO2 (nitrogen and phosphorous doped TiO2)/C composites using a facile sol-gel method, and demonstrate successful achievement of efficient adsorption-photocatalytic performance via the in-situ formed carbides coated with NP TiO2 nanoparticles. We find that the composites have rough surfaces with porous structure, which can be tuned by the calcination temperature, and that such composites can be served to efficiently capture the algal cells. The N and P are successfully doped into the TiO2 crystal lattices, and the cooperation of carbides and NP TiO2 particles enhances significantly light absorption, while inhibiting the recombination of the photogenerated charge carriers. Among all the NP TiO2/C composites, the NP TiO2/C system calcinated at 550 °C shows the best photocatalytic performance for the algal inactivation, presenting a removal rate of 92.6% following 6 h visible light irradiation. The destruction of cell structures is clearly observed in the photocatalytic process. Interestingly, the metabolic activities are also disturbed by the photogenerated radicals, which accelerates the death of algal cells. Moreover, the NP TiO2/C composite can effectively remove the cytotoxins from water, rendering the composite and the doping strategy promising in the remediation practice for eutrophic waters.

In this study, MgO modified diatomite (MgO-D) was used for recovery of microalgae (Chlorella pyrenoidosa FACHB-9), NH4+-N and phosphate from wastewater. The effects of adsorbent dosage, solution pH, contact time, and coexisting substances were investigated. The results showed that MgO-D exhibited excellent recovery efficiency for microalgae, NH4+-N and phosphate in a wide pH range of 3.0–9.0. With initial pH = 8.0, MgO-D = 0.5 g/L and reaction time = 2 h, the recovery efficiencies of microalgae, NH4+-N and phosphate were 182.04 mg/g, 63.3 mg/g, 121.07 mg/g, respectively. Coexisting organic matters inhibited the recovery of microalgae, NH4+-N and phosphate in the order of alginate > humic acid > acetic acid. When in proper concentration range, NH4+-N and phosphate were preferentially recovered by MgO-D through struvite precipitation, and then the charge neutralization of hydroxylated Mg(OH)2 and sweeping of struvite precipitation played an important role in harvesting of microalgal cells. This study shows new guidelines and useful methods for the simultaneous recovery of microalgae, NH4+-N and phosphate from wastewater.

In the conventional Fenton system, the relatively low efficiency of Fe (II) regeneration is a significant drawback. To address this shortcoming, a novel floating Z-scheme photo-Fenton catalyst FeMo

In this work, the superabsorbent polymer hydrogel (SPH) of Poly(potassium acrylate-co-acrylamide (PPAA)) incorporated with Fe-Mn binary oxides (FMBOs) was synthesized and used for the removal of Sb(III) from water. Characterization analysis proved that FMBO3 was successfully encapsulated into the SPH. The Fe/Mn oxide species in the composite SPH comprised FeO(OH), Fe2O3, MnO(OH), and MnO2. The functional groups including N–H, –OH, carboxy as well as Fe atoms were confirmed adsorption sites through ligand exchange and inner-sphere complexes formation. Mn oxides can partially oxidize Sb(III) to Sb(V). Compared with the pseudo-first-order model, the pseudo-second-order model could better describe the adsorption kinetics. And the swelling degree of the composite SPH had a positive impact on the removal rate. The Langmuir-Freundlich model was the most suitable isotherm model to analyze the experimental data. According to thermodynamic parameters, the adsorption process was a spontaneous exothermic reaction. The maximum adsorption capacity of the composite SPH for Sb(III) could be up to 105.59 mg/g at 288 K. In addition, a stable removal rate can be achieved over a wide pH range of 3–10, with little metal leaching even under acidic conditions. Furthermore, coexisting ions and DOM displayed an insignificant influence on the adsorption of Sb(III).

This work discussed the feasibility and stability of utilizing C–S–H phosphorus recovered products, HAP/C–S–H, to remove Zn(Ⅱ) from aqueous solution and in-situ immobilize Zn(Ⅱ) in contaminated soil. The removal mechanisms of Zn(Ⅱ) by HAP/C–S–H were relatively complex, combining multiple reactions including electrostatic attraction, ion exchange, surface complexation and (co-)precipitation. The removal rate of Zn(Ⅱ) by HAP/C–S–H raised with the increase of pH value, reaching 99.47% at pH of 8 in aqueous solution. The ion strength of background solution negatively affected the adsorption efficiency. The pseudo-second-order model and Langmuir model were more suitable to fit the Zn(Ⅱ) adsorption experimental data for the adsorbent. The adsorption process was endothermic and spontaneous naturally according to thermodynamic parameter. The maximum adsorption capacity of HAP/C–S–H can reach 114.0 mg/g at 308 K. After 28 days of immobilization, the release of Zn(Ⅱ) in soil with HAP/C–S–H remarkably decreased to 0.6 mg/L, compared with control group (2.9 mg/L). BCR sequential extraction results indicated that HAP/C–S–H could convert acid-soluble Zn(Ⅱ) into reducible and residual Zn(Ⅱ), reducing the bioavailability and ecotoxicity of Zn(Ⅱ) in contaminated soil. pH-dependent leaching tests revealed that the soil with HAP/C–S–H had stronger resistance to acid impact.

The increase in occurrence and severity of cyanobacteria blooms is causing increasing concern; moreover, human and animal health is affected by the toxic effects of Microcystin-LR released into the water. In this paper, a floating photocatalyst for the photocatalytic inactivation of the harmful algae Microcystis aeruginosa (M. aeruginosa) was prepared using a simple sol-gel method, i.e., coating g-C3N4 coupled with Bi-doped TiO2 on Al2O3-modified expanded perlite (CBTA for short). The impact of different molar ratios of Bi/Ti on CBTA was considered. The results indicated that Bi doping in TiO2 inhibited photogenerated electron-hole pair recombination. With 6 h of visible light illumination, 75.9% of M. aeruginosa (initial concentration = 2.7 × 106 cells/L) and 83.7% of Microcystin-LR (initial concentration =100 µg/L) could be removed with the addition of 2 g/L CBTA-1% (i.e., Bi/Ti molar ratio = 1%). The key reactive oxygen species (ROSs) in the photocatalytic inactivation process are h+ and ⦁OH. The induction of the Bi4+/Bi3+ species by the incorporation of Bi could narrow the bandgap of TiO2, trap electrons, and enhance the stability of CBTA-1% in the solutions with coexisting environmental substances.

The present work provides the first attempt of using manganese dioxide loaded poly(sodium acrylate) hydrogel (MnO2@PSA) to address potential threats posed by oxytetracycline (OTC) antibiotics in aqueous environment. The MnO2@PSA was prepared via a facile approach and demonstrated enhanced removal performance even under extremely high concentrations of OTC. The outstanding performance exhibited by MnO2@PSA was attributed to synergetic effects of adsorption oxidative degradation. The synthesized composite was characterized evaluated under varying conditions. The adsorption pH was optimized at pH 5, at which the removal efficiency OTC was reached 91.46%. According to the kinetics study, the pseudo-second-order kinetic model was the best to explain the adsorption data, implying the interaction mechanisms were dominated by chemisorption. The Langmuir isotherm model was the best to explain the isotherm data, and the corresponding maximum adsorbed amount of OTC was 1150.4 mg g−1. The MnO2@PSA was highly selective for OTC adsorption and degradation under the presence of natural organic matter and common environmental metal ions. The oxidative degradation study indicated that OTC molecules were structurally degraded into 15 intermediate products via six reaction pathways. Both the theoretical models and spectroscopic methods demonstrated the removal mechanism of OTC onto MnO2@PSA was governed by ion exchange, cation-π bonding, hydrogen-bonding, and π-π electron donor-acceptor. Overall, MnO2@PSA is an excellent and environmentally sustainable material to remove OTC from water and wastewater via the combined effects of adsorption and oxidative degradation.

Metal sites (Ni, Bi or Ag) were introduced into carbon strengthened expanded graphite (CEG) based photocatalysts, and performed as a novel strategy to enhance the elimination of Microcystis aeruginosa and microcystin-LR from water. Results show that metal doping can efficiently improve the adsorption of harmful algae and enhance the photocatalytic activities in inactivation of harmful algae and degradation of MC-LR. Among the CEG catalysts, Ni-CEG can achieve the highest removal rate up to 90.6% for algal cells with 5 h visible light irradiation, while Bi-CEG catalyst provides the best performance for MC-LR degradation with the removal rate of 80.9% in 6 h visible light irradiation. In general, considering the coexistence of algal cells and microcystin-LR, Bi-CEG is proved to be an excellent candidate for the remediation of eutrophicated waters since it can achieve the efficient removal of both harmful algae and MC-LR. DFT calculations indicate that metal doping can transform the photocatalysts into n-type semiconductor, and provide the mid-gap state. In addition, the partial charge density distribution near Fermi level was mainly composed by the metal dopants, which can enhance the interaction with harmful algae and MC-LR.

During rearing in hatcheries and transportation to restocking sites, sea cucumbers are often exposed to air for several hours, which may depress their non-specific immunity and lead to mass mortality. We performed transcriptome analysis of Apostichopus japonicus coelomocytes after air exposure to identify stress-related genes and pathways. After exposure to air for 1 h, individuals were re-submerged in aerated seawater and coelomocytes were collected at 0, 1, 4, and 16 h (B, H1, H4, and H16, respectively). We identified 6148 differentially expressed genes, of which 3216 were upregulated and 2932 were downregulated. Many genes involved in the immune response, antioxidant defense, and apoptosis were highly induced in response to air exposure. Enrichment analysis of Gene Ontology terms showed that the most abundant terms in the biological process category were oxidation-reduction process, protein folding and phosphorylation, and receptor-mediated endocytosis for the comparison of H1 vs. B, H4 vs. H1, and H16 vs. H4, respectively. Kyoto Eecyclopedia of Genes and Genomes enrichment analysis showed that six pathways related to the metabolism of proteins, fats, and carbohydrates were shared among the three comparisons. These results indicated that sea cucumbers regulate the expression of genes related to the antioxidant system and energy metabolism to resist the negative effects of air exposure stress. These findings may be applied to optimize juvenile sea cucumber production, and facilitate molecular marker-assisted selective breeding of an anoxia-resistant strain.

Gliomas are the most common malignant primary brain tumors in adults and exhibit a spectrum of aberrantly aggressive phenotypes. MicroRNAs (miRNAs) play a regulatory role in various cancers, including gliomas; however, their specific roles and mechanisms have not been fully investigated. Studies have indicated that miR-29a is a tumor-suppressive miRNA, but the data are limited. In this study, we investigated the role of miR-29a-5p in glioma and further explored its underlying mechanisms. On the basis of bioinformatics, dehydrogenase/reductase 4 (DHRS4) was considered a potential target of miR-29a-5p and was also found to be highly expressed in gliomas in our experiments. Moreover, with a luciferase reporter assay, DHRS4 was found to be a target gene of miR-29a-5p and to be correlated with glioma proliferation, invasion, and migration in our in vivo and in vitro experiments. Simultaneously, we observed that the knockdown of DHRS4 rescued the downregulation of glioma proliferation, invasion, and migration caused by treatment with a mir-29a-5p inhibitor. The present findings demonstrate that miR-29a-5p suppresses cell proliferation, invasion, and migration by targeting DHRS4, and DHRS4 may be a potential new oncogene and prognostic factor in gliomas.

Excessive copper (Cu) in contaminated soil and groundwater has attracted continuous attentions due to the bioaccumulation and durability. In this study, the feasibility of remediation of heavy metal pollution in soil and groundwater was investigated using hydroxyapatite/calcium silicate hydrate (HAP/C–S–H) recovered from phosphorus-rich wastewater in farmland. The results show that the pH has a strong effect on copper removal from Cu-contaminated groundwater but the impact of ion strength on the removal is weak. In general, high pH and low ion strength give better results in copper removal. Kinetic and isotherm data from the study fit well with Pseudo-second-order kinetic model and Langmuir isotherm model, respectively. The maximum adsorption capacity of HAP/C–S–H (138 mg/g) was higher than that of C–S–H (90.3 mg/g) when pH value, temperature, and ionic strength were 5, 308 K, and 0.01 M, respectively. Thermodynamics results indicate that Cu removal is a spontaneous and endothermic process. X-ray diffraction (XRD) results show that the mechanism of copper removal involves physical adsorption, chemical precipitation and ion exchange. For the remediation of Cu-contaminated soil, 76.3% of leachable copper was immobilized by HAP/C–S–H after 28 d. Acid soluble Cu, the main contributor to biotoxicity, decreased significantly while reducible and residual Cu increased. After immobilization, the acid neutralization capacity of the soil increased and the dissolution of copper was substantially reduced in near-neutral pH. It can be concluded that HAP/C–S–H is an effective, low-cost and eco-friendly reagent for in-situ remediation of heavy metal polluted soil and groundwater.

With the motivation of achieving resource reclamation and its sustainable utilization as fertilizer, a biochar supported Mg(OH)2/bentonite composite (PMRB) was prepared using an integrated precipitation-pyrolysis method for the simultaneous capture of phosphate, ammonium and humic acid from wastewater. The results showed that PMRB was composed of Mg(OH)2 nanoflakes and a porous bentonite-biochar frame produced by the pyrolysis of rice husks as a pore-generation agent. The adsorption process by PMRB did not need additional pH adjustment, and PMRB presented maximum nutrient adsorption capacities of 125.36 mg g−1 for phosphate, 58.20 mg g−1 for ammonium and 34.57 mg g−1 for humic acid at pH 8.0. A pseudo-second order equation and the Weber–Morris model were able to accurately describe the kinetics of phosphate, ammonium and humic acid adsorption by PMRB. A mechanistic study revealed that the adsorption mechanism involved struvite crystallization, co-precipitation, π–π interactions, ion exchange, electrostatic interactions and inner-sphere complexation. The recovered precipitate (HMCC) contained approximately 13% P2O5 and the production cost of HMCC was estimated as 0.16 $ per kg. The results and concept from this study suggest a new sustainable and economical strategy to synthesize and apply PMRB to simultaneously recycle nutrients and fertilize soils using the recovered precipitate.

In this study, a novel ultrasound-assisted sol–gel method was developed for the room-temperature synthesis of single-phase calcium silicate hydrate (C-S-H). The optimum synthesis conditions and the phosphate recovery properties of C-S-H were investigated by batch experiments. Samples were characterized by scanning electron microscopy (SEM), specific surface area analysis, 29Si magic-angle spinning nuclear magnetic resonance (29Si MAS-NMR) spectroscopy, and X-ray diffraction (XRD). The results showed that ultrasound irradiation played a vital role in the rapid and effective synthesis of C-S-H at room temperature, and the Ca/Si ratio of 1.2 was the most appropriate raw material ratio. In the process of phosphate recovery, C-S-H acted as the seed crystal, the calcium ion donor, and the pH adjuster at the same time, and therefore phosphate could be recovered in one-step crystallization without adding other chemicals. The adsorption kinetics and adsorption isotherms of phosphate recovery could be well described by the pseudo-second-order model and the Langmuir model, respectively. The thermodynamic parameters indicated that the phosphate recovery process was endothermic and spontaneous. The phosphate adsorption capacity on C-S-H could reach 109.4 mg g−1 when the initial pH was 5.0 and the temperature was 298 K. Unlike the case of using Ca(OH)2, only a slight degree of carbonate inhibition was observed for the phosphate recovery by C-S-H. All the results indicate that the ultrasound-assisted sol–gel synthesis is a valuable method for C-S-H synthesis.

In this study, an industrial waste-blast furnace slag (BFS) supported sulfidized nanoscale zerovalent iron (S-nZVI@BFS) was prepared and used for synergistic reduction and adsorptive removal of Cr(VI) from aqueous solutions. The characterization analysis showed that Fe0 and FeS were well dispersed on the surface of BFS, and the specific surface area of S-nZVI@BFS was 141.986 m2 g−1. Batch experiments demonstrated that the removal capacity of Cr(VI) was as high as 184 mg/g for S-nZVI@BFS. The pseudo-second-order kinetic model fitted the Cr(VI) removal kinetics well. Cr(VI) removal on the S-nZVI@BFS relied highly on pH values. The reduced Cr(VI) precipitated on S-nZVI@BFS mainly as CrxFe(1-x)(OH)3, CrxFe(1-x) OOH and Cr2S3, and the alkaline capacity of the BFS could efficiently prevent the release of Cr(III) from the precipitations in acid condition. Thus, supporting S-nZVI on BFS was an effective and safe method for Cr(VI) removal from aqueous solutions.

Highly active TiO2 photocatalysts prepared at a low temperature are promising reagents to degrade organic pollutants. Moreover, the addition of macroporous resins should overcome the poor adsorption properties of TiO2. Here we prepared N-doped TiO2/macroporous resin composites at low temperatures using a hydrothermal-assisted sol–gel method. The results show that the composites have a spherical appearance, which is controlled by the macroporous resin. The composites exhibit high specific surface areas, and the microstructure can be tuned by the temperature. N can be doped into the TiO2 crystal by substitution of oxygen at a lower temperature. N-doped TiO2 particles are distributed on the surface with a dominant crystal form of anatase. The composite prepared at 200 °C gave the best performance for the photocatalytic degradation of rhodamine B, with removal efficiency of 74.8% following 240-min irradiation.

Eutrophication raises a widespread problem for rivers and lakes all over the world, which serves as a seedbed for uncontrollable growth of harmful algae. Here, we prepare CeO x /TiO 2-y F y nanocomposites by a facile sol-gel method to offer an efficient solution for inactivation of harmful algae such as Microcystis aeruginosa with visible light irradiation. The results show that the nanocomposites hold ideal CeO x coupling and F doping forms when the calcination temperature is 550 °C (CeO x /TiO 2-y F y -550). The CeO x /TiO 2-y F y -550 nanocomposite exhibits a higher light absorption capacity and lower recombination efficiency for photogenerated carriers in comparison to the CeO x /TiO 2-y F y nanocomposite. Moreover, it exhibits an excellent photocatalytic inactivation efficiency of 100% following 4 h irradiation. We also find that the photosynthetic efficiency of algal cells reduces in the inactivation process, and the electron transport process in the photosynthetic system is inhibited, which are ascribed to the formation of hydroxyl radicals (·OH) and superoxide radical (·O 2 - ). Such an efficient photocatalytic inactivation performance for the CeO x /TiO 2-y F y -550 can be attributed to the outstanding contribution of ·O 2 - resulting from the electron and oxygen tuning by CeO x coupling and F doping.

Harmful algal blooms (HABs) have increasingly occurred worldwide causing human and ecological health risks. In this study, we report on an effective alternative to inactivating Microcystis aeruginosa under visible light irradiation with the use of a floating heterojunction photocatalyst. The photocatalyst (CTAE for short) is made of graphitic carbon nitride (g-C3N4) and TiO2 that are loaded on Al2O3-modified expanded perlite via a facile sol-gel method. The N/C doping in TiO2 and the interaction between TiO2 and g-C3N4 enhanced the generation of h+ and OH independent of O2 activation, which could facilitate applications in oxygen-deficient waters. Consideration was given to the impacts of different mass ratios of g-C3N4 to TiO2. The photocatalysts were characterized by XRD, N2 adsorption/desorption isotherms, FESEM/EDS, TEM, XPS, UV–vis absorption and Photoluminescence spectroscopy. Results showed that different contents of g-C3N4 had an influence on the crystal structure, specific surface area and pore volumes of the photocatalysts. The use of 2 g/L of 0.03CTAE (i.e., the theoretical mass ratio of g-C3N4 to TiO2 = 0.03) photocatalyst could simultaneously remove 88.1% of M. aeruginosa at an initial concentration of 2.7 × 106 cells/mL and 54.4% of Microcystin-LR at an initial concentration of 50 μg/L following 6-h of visible light irradiation. Microcystin-LR was gradually degraded with oxidation of the Adda chain occurring. Following each treatment, the floating g-C3N4/TiO2 photocatalyst could be readily recovered from the solution, demonstrating a great potential for in situ remediation of eutrophic waters.