5 - Visible light active photocatalysts for the removal of organic emerging contaminants

Abstract

In this chapter, the efficiency of solar or visible active semiconductors for the removal of different classes of organic emerging contaminants is presented. The chapter is organized in several parts to briefly discuss the main approaches to obtain or prepare visible light active photocatalysts, pointing out on several methods, such as metal and/or nonmetal doping of the TiO2- or ZnO-based photocatalysts, their coupling with narrow-gap semiconductors, wide band gap doped semiconductors such as ZrO2, and dye sensitization of the photocatalysts. Two paragraphs are devoted to the research and the development of solar and visible light active photocatalysts for the treatment of contaminants of emerging concern, discussing the recent relevant founding and applications to this goal. In particular two classes of photocatalysts were considered for the abatement of drugs, dyes, endocrine disruptors, stimulant, pesticides and toxins, titanium-based visible light active photocatalysts, and other visible light photocatalysts not based on titanium.