ABSTRACT
Water pollution is a serious problem increasing in industrialized countries due to their organic pollutants discharged in the industrial wastewater. These several types of organic pollutants released from industrial processes are considerable toxic and carcinogenic in nature even at ultra-low concentrations. Thus, titanium dioxide (TiO2)-based semiconductor photocatalysis is considered as a promising alternative for the complete removal of toxic organic pollutants and wastewater by using natural sunlight. The current review discusses briefly the organic pollutants generation, photocatalysis mechanisms, and modifications in TiO2 nanomaterials. The modifications on the TiO2 surface could be done by the metal and non-metal doping which further extends the light absorption range from ultraviolet to visible or solar light. Thus, the various reports have been presented with the different complex organic compounds generation and their degradation by using solar irradiations. A considerable improvement was observed in the degradation efficiency with the modified nanomaterials for complex bio-recalcitrant compounds as compared to unmodified nanomaterials. Global economic shifts towards utilization of solar energy provides an opportunity for the photocatalytic technologies that can harness this abundant natural light source for the complete removal of non-biodegradable organics in the industrial wastewater.
