The Potential of rGO@TiO2 Photocatalyst for the Degradation of Organic Pollutants in Water

Abstract

The availability of clean water is essential for humans wellbeing and the diverse biotic population in the environment. Menkind imposes a significant pressure on food supplies, natural resources, and other commodities. Large-scale anthropogenic activities, such as agriculture and industry, which are practiced to ensure population growth and survival, have caused several harmful environmental effects, including the discharge of pollutants into the aquatic environment. Among them organic micropollutants (OMPs) are considered a significant threat to aquatic ecosystems. The efficient removal of this persistent pollutants from wastewater is nowadays commonly considered in water treatment technologies. Utilizing photocatalysis by harvesting solar energy as an inexhaustible source, represents a facile and easy to upscale solution, for removing persistent pollutants and other emerging contaminants. In the recent decade, graphene-based titanium dioxide catalyst (rGO@TiO2) has received a lot of attention as an effective material for the degradation in the enviroment. This review summarizes the recent progress in preparing rGO@TiO2 nanocomposites and their utilization for purification purposes. Its main advantage over many other photocatalysts is its easy preparation, low toxicity, and reasonable photo-activity in a specific solar light spectrum.