5.7.4
Time . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 157
5.7.5
Temperature . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 157
5.7.6
Light Intensity . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 158
5.8
Synergistic Effect . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 158
5.9
Photocatalysis . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 159
5.10 Conclusions and Future Scopes . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 159
References . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 161
Abstract Polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons, most commonly found organic contaminants in considerable amounts in various water bodies are persistent, cause
severe health and environmental problems. Various strategies have been employed
in the removal process of polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons, but all have certain
limitations associated along with them. In recent times, modification of basic
materials through their coupling, pairing, or functionalization with other materials
has been explored in order to get desired results. Degradation of polycyclic aromatic
hydrocarbons has been also explored with these functionalized materials where it
can be carbon nanotubes, graphene oxide, or metal-based materials.
Incorporated metal oxides have tendency of oxidizing as well as degrading the
polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons through the support of various reactive species
(superoxide or hydroxyl radical). Most of the materials have shown good results, but
the metal-based materials were explored vastly. Functionalization introduced additional energy levels in semiconducting phenomena and enhanced the surface activity
of the catalysts. However, most of the studies were devoted to the three-ring
membered polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbon degradation, namely, phenanthrene,
anthracene, and naphthalene. This chapter will provide readers a good quality of
information of recent trends of functionalization of nanocatalysts as well as various
degradation strategies of polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons.
Keywords Polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons · Water · Pollution · Carcinogenic ·
Nanoparticles · Functionalization · Photodegradation
5.1 Introduction
A lot of environmental problems nowadays are found to be originated from polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons owing to its carcinogenicity and potential ruinous effects
on life. Polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons belong to the class of the compounds
containing two or more coupled benzene rings in different conformations (Chefetz
et al. 2000). Polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons generally originate from the unfinished burning of organic materials including coal, petroleum products, tobacco, and
agricultural by-products. Anthropogenic activities leading to the formation of polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons are military invention, household waste burnings, and
seepage of petroleum from refineries and combustion of engines (Cerniglia 1984;
Ravindra et al. 2008). Textile dye sludge was reported to contain a small amount of
132
Rachna et al.
Time . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 157
5.7.5
Temperature . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 157
5.7.6
Light Intensity . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 158
5.8
Synergistic Effect . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 158
5.9
Photocatalysis . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 159
5.10 Conclusions and Future Scopes . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 159
References . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 161
Abstract Polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons, most commonly found organic contaminants in considerable amounts in various water bodies are persistent, cause
severe health and environmental problems. Various strategies have been employed
in the removal process of polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons, but all have certain
limitations associated along with them. In recent times, modification of basic
materials through their coupling, pairing, or functionalization with other materials
has been explored in order to get desired results. Degradation of polycyclic aromatic
hydrocarbons has been also explored with these functionalized materials where it
can be carbon nanotubes, graphene oxide, or metal-based materials.
Incorporated metal oxides have tendency of oxidizing as well as degrading the
polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons through the support of various reactive species
(superoxide or hydroxyl radical). Most of the materials have shown good results, but
the metal-based materials were explored vastly. Functionalization introduced additional energy levels in semiconducting phenomena and enhanced the surface activity
of the catalysts. However, most of the studies were devoted to the three-ring
membered polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbon degradation, namely, phenanthrene,
anthracene, and naphthalene. This chapter will provide readers a good quality of
information of recent trends of functionalization of nanocatalysts as well as various
degradation strategies of polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons.
Keywords Polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons · Water · Pollution · Carcinogenic ·
Nanoparticles · Functionalization · Photodegradation
5.1 Introduction
A lot of environmental problems nowadays are found to be originated from polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons owing to its carcinogenicity and potential ruinous effects
on life. Polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons belong to the class of the compounds
containing two or more coupled benzene rings in different conformations (Chefetz
et al. 2000). Polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons generally originate from the unfinished burning of organic materials including coal, petroleum products, tobacco, and
agricultural by-products. Anthropogenic activities leading to the formation of polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons are military invention, household waste burnings, and
seepage of petroleum from refineries and combustion of engines (Cerniglia 1984;
Ravindra et al. 2008). Textile dye sludge was reported to contain a small amount of
132
Rachna et al.