ABSTRACT
This chapter gives a thorough review on the environmental applications of nanosemiconductor materials with special reference to photocatalytic applications such as water purification, air purification, and green energy production. It also gives a brief account on the biocompatibility of nanomaterials, biomedical applications, and the impact of nanomaterials on human health. Significant crystallinity with crystal defects is always preferable in that it minimizes the interface recombination. The advanced oxidation technology of the semiconductors is being widely employed to remove persistent organic compounds and microorganisms from water. Photocatalytic oxidation of semiconductors can be employed to destruct a broad range of contaminants like volatile organic compounds and inorganic pollutants into harmless products at low or room temperature without significant energy input. Large-scale experimental and theoretical research is being conducted on semiconductor nanomaterials because of their size-dependent optical and electronic properties, which are due to quantum phenomena.
