Biomass‐Derived Carbon Photocatalysts for Organic Pollutant Degradation: Strategies and Perspectives
Jagadis Gautam, Amol Marotrao Kale, Jishu Rawal, Pooja Varma, Seung Jun Lee, Seul‐Yi Lee, Soo‐Jin Park
Abstract
ABSTRACT The accumulation of persistent organic pollutants (POPs) in aquatic systems poses severe environmental and health risks, underscoring the need for sustainable, efficient remediation technologies. Biomass‐derived carbon materials have emerged as cost‐effective photocatalysts owing to their high surface area, tunable electronic structure, and excellent charge transport properties. This review summarizes recent progress in their synthesis, structural design, and surface modification for photocatalytic degradation of organic pollutants. Emphasis is placed on key mechanisms such as reactive oxygen species (ROS) generation, band gap tuning, and interfacial charge separation, as well as performance‐enhancing strategies including heteroatom doping, heterojunction formation, and hybrid integration for improved visible‐light activity. The dual functionality of these materials in adsorption and photocatalysis is also highlighted, revealing synergistic pollutant removal pathways. Finally, critical challenges related to scalability, stability, and reproducibility are discussed, along with future perspectives for translating biomass‐derived carbon photocatalysts from laboratory research to practical environmental applications.