A review on novel composites of MWCNTs mediated semiconducting materials as photocatalysts in water treatment

Abstract

Many technologies were explored to eliminate the harmful pollutants entering water systems and to minimize their impact on environment. In general, photo-catalysis is one of the sustainable techniques with wider applications and semiconductors in particular were efficiently utilized in the photocatalytic degradation of pollutants. Semiconducting materials, such as TiO₂, ZnO, BiO, CdS, and Ag₃PO₄ are frequently used as photo-catalysts due to their suggestible band gap and structural properties. The generation of reactive oxygen species such as hydroxyl and superoxide radicals is the crucial factor in degradation of pollutant molecules. The rapid recombination of photo-generated electron-hole pairs impacts on the efficacy of semiconductors as photo-catalysts. The integration of properties of multi-walled carbon nanotubes (MWCNTs) with semiconductors is considered as imperative alternative strategy to boast the photocatalytic efficiency. The combinative merits of composites of MWCNTs and various semiconductor materials give new vista for water treatment and environmental protection. This review describes the scope of different types of MWCNT and semiconductor composites as photo-catalysts and their structure-property relationships in oxidative degradation and mineralization of organic pollutants, in particular.

Keywords: Environmental protection; Nanocomposites; Photocatalysis; Reactive oxygen species; Semiconductor-MWCNTs; Synergistic effect.