Removal of Organic Pollutant from Water by Heterogenous Photocatalysis: A Review

Photocatalysis has been proved to be an effective and inexpensive tool for the removal of organic and inorganic pollutants from water. Photocatalysis is a process in which rate of photoreaction is accelerated in presence of catalyst. Heterogeneous photocatalysis was first studied by Fujishima and Honda.(25) In recent years, researchers have been more interested in this environment, as it give complete photocatalytic mineralization of a variety of organic compounds into harmless products. This technique is now reaching the pre-industrial level with several pilot plants and prototypes being operational in various countries. This paper describes the basics of heterogeneous photocatalysis, mainly on TiO2 and the application of photocatalytic processes to water purification, mainly to remove organic contaminants as well as with special reference to the mechanism of the process involved, nature of the reactive intermediates and final products.