Abstract

Innovative technology operations based on the utilization of solar light for the mineralization of environmental contaminants (ECs) will assist in the near future for environmental reclamation. It is believed that the progress of investigation grounded on such technologies leads to the provision of a clean and green environment for the future. The utilization of semiconductor nanocatalysts for energy and environmental applications in imperative technologies has received much interest from various sectors. Most of the nanocatalysts typically have a diameter of 1–10 nm. In this chapter, an attempt is made to consolidate contemporary achievements, issues, and solutions based on the technologies that use solar light as a source for the environmental applications. In addition, the development and modification of various classical photocatalysts and the alternative visible light-driven nanophotocatalysts are summarized. The numerous mechanistic approaches reported for the production of an enhanced number of active radicals for photocatalytic applications are discussed in order to give an ample overview to the reader.