Preface

The field of photocatalysis has experienced numerous applications for the treatment of water, air, soil and other applications in the field of environmental remediation, self-cleaning surfaces, green chemistry and green engineering, production of energy and alternative fuels, food packaging and biomedical and medical applications. The first chapter reviews certain aspects on the photocatalytic degradation of organic contaminants in water such as insecticides, chlorinated organic compounds, antibiotics, cyanotoxins and taste and odor compounds. Particular emphasis is placed on the role of water quality parameters on degradation kinetics as well as on degradation pathways. Chapter 2 discusses the photocatalytic removal of metallic and other inorganic pollutants such as chromium, mercury, lead, uranium, arsenic, and nitrate. The chapter discusses mechanistic aspects of energetics and nano-interfacial phenomena in such process as well as real world applications. Chapter 3 focuses on solar photocatalytic disinfection of water. The chapter covers mechanistic aspects of solar disinfection, the role of reactive oxygen species in the disinfection mechanisms, visible light active materials and reactors for solar disinfection, and emerging applications of the photocatalytic inactivation of antibiotic resistant bacteria. Chapter 4 deals with fundamentals, reactor design and applications of solar photocatalysis. The chapter includes integration of solar photocatalytic processes with biological treatments or membrane processes. Chapter 5 presents development, characterization and evaluation of combined photocatalysis-separation processes for water treatment using hybrid photocatalytic membrane processes. Chapter 6 presents concepts for the effective integration and coupling of photocatalytic processes with other treatment processes for the purification of various types of wastewater. Chapter 7 provides an overview of the photocatalytic purification and disinfection of air. The chapter discusses mechanisms of removal of organic contaminants and microbiological airborne objects in indoor air, the role of various parameters on the mechanisms and kinetics of removal, commercial and prototype photocatalytic reactors for air purification, and present challenges in the field. Chapter 8 reviews development, mechanisms, applications, progress and challenges in the field of self-cleaning photocatalytic materials. Chapter 9 discusses the development, underlying photocatalysis and photoelectrocatalysis mechanisms, and performance evaluation of PhotoFuelCells for energy generation. Chapter 10 is focused on photocatalytic hydrogen generation. The chapter presents the mechanism and reviews applications in the field as well as insights on approaches for process optimization for higher efficiency. Chapter 11 presents examples of applications of various photocatalysts in reactions relevant to synthesis of chemicals. The chapter discusses the role of catalyst type, reaction yields and selectivities, and concepts of green chemistry and green engineering. The final chapter (Chapter 12) presents an overview of the potential applications of TiO₂ photocatalysis in food packaging, osseointegration and disinfection of medical implants, and controlled delivery of chemical compounds.