Effective Strategies, Mechanisms, and Photocatalytic Efficiency of Semiconductor Nanomaterials Incorporating rGO for Environmental Contaminant Degradation

Abstract

The water pollution problems severely affect the natural water resources due to the large disposal of dyes, heavy metals, antibiotics, and pesticides. Advanced oxidation processes (AOP) have been developed using semiconductor nanomaterials as photocatalysts for water treatment as an essential strategy to minimize environmental pollution. Significant research efforts have been dedicated over the past few years to enhancing the photocatalytic efficiencies of semiconductor nanomaterials. Graphene-based composites created by integrating reduced graphene oxide (rGO) into various semiconductor nanomaterials enable the unique characteristics of graphene, such as the extended range of light absorption, the separation of charges, and the high capacity of adsorption of pollutants. Therefore, rGO-based composites improve the overall visible-light photocatalytic efficiency and lead to a new pathway for high-performance photocatalysts’ potential applications. This brief review illustrates the strategies of combining rGO with various semiconductor nanomaterials and focuses primarily on modification and efficiency towards environmental contaminants.