Across the globe, the task of providing clean and safe drinking water is getting harder. Organic contaminants, including dyes and pharmaceutical medications, are a significant environmental threat, especially in aquatic bodies due to their uncontrolled emission. Therefore, a method for their degradation in water bodies that is both environmentally friendly and commercially feasible must be developed. In the realm of photocatalysis, carbon-based nanomaterials have drawn more attention in the last ten years. Due to their exceptional and distinct qualities, metal-free carbon-based photocatalytic systems have received a lot of attention recently for their ability to degrade organic contaminants into semiconductor quantum dots, which are already available. A class of nanomaterials with a particle size between 2 and 10 nm showing distinct optoelectrical characteristics is among the variety of catalytic quantum dots. This review covers several synthesis techniques such as electrochemical, laser ablation, microwave radiation, hydrothermal, and optical features of CQDs such as the photoluminescent (PL) property and quantum confinement effect. The uses of CQDs in the degradation of various dyes as well as the difficulties that still exist and the opportunities that lie ahead have also been explored.
© 2024 The Authors. Published by American Chemical Society.