An Introduction to Graphene-Based Photocatalytic Degradation of Pollutants

All organisms that live depend on water for survival; we frequently fail to recognize that the hydrologic phase and the life span are interconnected. But industrial development has polluted it, harming the environment by releasing a variety of pollutants including toxic chemicals, hazardous metals, solid wastes, and dyes. The fundamental cause of the concern is the lack of remediation in wastewater reuse. Therefore, it is crucial to properly disinfect the water for the health of people as well as for the conservation of ecosystems. The remarkable mechanical, chemical, and physical characteristics of the graphene-based photocatalysts have received a great deal of limelight in the past decade in the manner in which wastewater is treated. Graphene exhibits vast surface area and excellent electron conductivity in photocatalysts based on it. Moreover, when graphene is amalgamated with materials like metal, metal oxide, semiconductors, and other compounds, the photocatalytic property significantly increased for the deterioration of hazardous contaminants. Therefore, this chapter details the photocatalytic degradation of hazardous pollutants with graphene-based photocatalysts.