Abstract

Solar Photocatalytic Removal of Organic Dyes and Toxic Metals from Industrial Wastewater using Graphene Supported Inexpensive Semiconductors

Author(s): Abhijit Ray

Use of the solar radiation in conjunction with heterogeneous semiconductor photocatalysts is one of the alternative approaches in the purification of industrial wastewater containing dye and toxic metal ions. Photocatalytic properties of various inexpensive and chemically stable semiconductors, including Cu2O, ZnO, SnS, gC3N4, BiOCl etc in their nanostructured forms have been found to be efficient materials with potential in water purification technologies. Their nano-carbon composites, with Graphene or reduced Graphene oxides have shown reasonable efficacy of industrial wastewater treatment through size and shape modulation effect of the catalysts by the virtue of effective electron transfer channel provided by the 2D material. Graphene being also capable of nonporous surface adsorption and an adsorption facilitated by p-p interaction has been used in a reduced graphene oxide hydrogel (rGOh) form along with the visible light responsive semiconductors in the treatment process.