Development process of graphene field for photocatalytic and antibacterial applications

As a new type of nanomaterial, graphene (GR) has been widely used in many fields and concerned by researchers. In terms of photocatalysis, graphene and its composites are used in photo catalytic degradation of organic pollutants, photocatalytic water splitting for hydrogen production and photocatalytic reduction of CO2 for CO2 recycling, due to their advantages such as low price and easy availability on the industry side, as well as good photogenerated electron transfer and green environmental protection on the academic side. Furthermore, in the aspect of antibacterial, GR-based nanomaterials have the advantages of stable chemical properties, long-acting time and excellent antibacterial properties, and already show a significant effect in the medical and pharmaceutical fields. Therefore, this review introduces and summarizes the synthesis methods of graphene-based photocatalysts, the application of graphene in the fields of photocatalysis and antibacterial. And the mechanism of graphene participating in the process of photocatalysis, including graphene as cocatalyst, photosensitizer and electron acceptor, is illustrated. Also, the overall views of looking ahead on the future research activities and relating to photocatalysis in this emerging field and possible mechanisms of antibacterial process are elucidated.