Emerging Trends in Solar Photocatalysis for Water Treatment

Dear Colleagues,

Energy production, including alternative energy sources, may be significant in mechanizing compounds in the long term. The latest innovations in the utilization of solar energy, including solar photocatalysis, have shown that it could provide the resources to overcome ecological consequences.

Freshwater, water supply, industrial discharge, and air and land pollutants are being treated with solar photocatalytic techniques. These are also employed in the purification of water and commercial specialty manufacturing. A novel photovoltaic photocatalytic reactor has already been developed which employs TiO₂ nanoparticles sprayed onto polymer grains. Catalyst grains are inserted further into the chamber of a ceramic reactor panel. In the photoreactor, wastewater is circulated using a motor to substantially decrease organic carbon, decompose macromolecular organic molecules, boost biocompatibility, and reduce the harshness of the generated water.

It is recommended that photocatalysis be integrated with other therapeutic approaches, including monoclonal antibodies. Photocatalysis is an improved oxidizing technique that is clean and ecologically beneficial. These charged particles are then used in various oxidation procedures to help decontaminate contaminants and microorganisms.

A photocatalyst is a material that absorbs sunlight and functions as a catalyst for biochemical reactions. When a photocatalyst is illuminated with the maximum frequency (enough energy), photon power is acquired by a band edge electron, which is stimulated to the conduction band.

Photocatalysis is a high-tech oxidation method for removing organic and inorganic pollutants as well as bacteria from water. Heterogeneous photocatalysis is a biochemical process that occurs when sunlight and a photocatalyst work together. This method has several benefits, including environmental regulation, total emission breakdown, and thus no downstream contamination. Its biggest drawback is its exorbitant price.

The pH level has an impact on the photocatalytic decomposition of organic compounds. Over the last few years, solar photocatalysis has been studied as a viable wastewater treatment method. Although primary and technology findings have evaluated photovoltaic photocatalysis technology in wastewater treatment, the main applications are now in their infancy, and several obstacles must be overcome, including solar capacity utilization, photoreactor building and operation, and photocatalyst dissociation.

The focus of this Special Issue is on Emerging Trends in Solar Photocatalysis for Water Treatment; we aim to enlighten readers on specifics of this emerging area. We invite the submission of original research papers that address widely recognizable technologies at different stages of water treatment operations based on sunlight, using a range of scientifically valid methodologies, from experimental and field studies to conceptual, analytical, and computational studies. Comprehensive, multidisciplinary research, as well as defined management objectives, are welcomed.

Topics of interest for this Special Issue include (but are not limited to): latest concepts in solar photocatalysis for water treatment; solar photocatalysis: structures and problems; recent progress in solar photocatalysis for water treatment; solar photoreactors potential, deployments, foundations, and constraints; before modernization: solar photocatalytic technology; uses and opportunities of green photochemistry; framework, mechanisms, and applications of solar photocatalytic technology; water treatment issues of verification and identification; development and evaluation of water treatment; material and reactor design of solar photocatalysis for water treatment; and the latest developments in solar-powered water disinfection.

Dr. Padam Jee Omar
Dr. Ganesh Ji Omar
Prof. Dr. Saeid Eslamian
Guest Editors

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• photocatalysis
• water treatment
• photocatalytic decomposition
• biocompatibility
• photocatalytic technology