Photocatalysis for Dye Degradation

The intensified application of synthetic dyes in the industries (leather, textile, cosmetic, packaging, and plastic industries) requires an urgent solution for the utilization/removal of spent or residual dyes in the industrial effluent. Most of the dyes have adverse impacts on human life and the environment as well due to their toxic nature. In this regard, different methods have developed, including physical, chemical, biological, and photocatalytic. Based on recent literature, photocatalytic reduction is considered to be an efficient technique to reduce the synthetic dyes from industrial effluents. Through this chapter, we present a detailed summary of advancements in materials and methods for the amputation of industrial dyes via photocatalysis. The role of both organic and inorganic materials including their nanomaterials and heterostructures is described in terms of photocatalytic degradation efficiency discussing the generation of active sites and reduction mechanism. Moreover, the effectiveness of the type of materials, their functionality, and the heterojunctions formed were discussed. Furthermore, dye treatment methods are classified based on their merits and bottlenecks along with the challenges associated with the treatment of dyes. This chapter will certainly provide wide-ranging information to researchers of similar fields about the current trends of dye treatment.