Advances in Polymer Nanocomposite Materials for Photocatalytic Degradation of Polynuclear Aromatic Hydrocarbons in Environmental Matrices: A Review

The immobilization of metal oxide nanoparticles into different anchoring media has recently gained great interest owing to their applications in water treatment. The choice of the polymers for the incorporation of the active catalyst particle is highly motivated by several advantages displayed by them. These include mechanical stability, chemical inertness and resistance to ultraviolet radiations, environmental stability, ease availability, and low prices. Additionally, the use of polymer nanocomposite materials (PNMs) as photocatalysts offers the possibility of a facile separation and reuse of the materials, eliminating thus the post-treatment separation processes and implicitly reducing the costs of the procedure. However, this review paper focused on recent advances made in PNMs for the photocatalytic decontamination of polynuclear aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs) in environmental matrices. It further explores some trends in research and the markets. The review also shows the current advances made on the understanding of detoxification mechanisms and toxicological effects of PAHs in photocatalytic processes as a green alternative method for environmental pollution control and remediation. It further critically explores different ways to improve workflows for PNMs characterization and testing and the emerging need for the analysis of PAHs. It finally provides insights into the understanding of how to set up and optimize manufacturing methods of PNMs while avoiding costly time traps that prevent getting the correct answer in addressing PAH-related environmental pollution problems.