A Brief Review on Photocatalytic Materials for Waste Water Treatment

The escalating contamination of wastewater by toxic pollutants from domestic, commercial, and industrial sources poses significant threats to global water security, food safety, and marine ecosystems. Conventional wastewater treatment methods often fail to address persistent organic pollutants, including dyes, pesticides, and endocrine disruptors, necessitating advanced solutions for sustainable environmental management. This work comprehensively focuses on photocatalysis as a cutting-edge advanced oxidation process (AOP) for the efficient degradation of recalcitrant contaminants in industrial wastewater. The process focused on the mechanisms of hydroxyl radical (•OH) formation through light-driven catalytic reactions. The study also evaluates the efficacy of various metal-oxide semiconductor nanomaterials here. The research further explores advancements such as doping strategies, hybrid nanocomposites, and reactor design innovations to overcome challenges like electron-hole recombination, toxic byproduct formation, and scalability. This work also highlights the potential of engineered photocatalytic systems to achieve near-complete mineralization of pollutants into harmless byproducts, offering a cost-effective and environmentally sustainable alternative to traditional methods. The study concludes with actionable insights for optimizing photocatalytic efficiency under solar irradiation, aligning with global efforts to achieve UN Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) for clean water and ecosystem preservation.