A brief overview of TiO2 photocatalyst for organic dye remediation: Case study of reaction mechanisms involved in Ce-TiO2 photocatalysts system

Abstract

The ever-increasing world population and the rapid growth of industrialization globally make necessary the development of clean technologies and affordable materials for remediating environmental pollution from petroleum-based hydrocarbons and dyes, among others. Advanced photocatalytic materials may provide an excellent solution for environmental cleanup without generating toxic byproducts as they allow for the complete oxidation of the pollutants and their conversion to benign species. In this review, the basic principle of photocatalyst operation and the importance of bandgap engineering are discussed. TiO2 has been the default photocatalyst although it has several shortcomings. Doping of TiO2 with Ce has been explored extensively in the literature as a way to enable visible-light-activated photocatalysis and enhanced efficiency. Recent advances in the synthesis of Ce-modified TiO2 photocatalytic materials along with photocatalytic reaction mechanisms are summarized.