Alkali-activated materials as photocatalysts for aqueous pollutant degradation

This chapter reviews the synthesis and photocatalytic properties of alkali-activated materials and geopolymers and their application to the important ecological problem of the degradation of pollutants in wastewater. The photocatalysts are derived from a range of aluminosilicate sources, including metakaolin, fly ash, and metallurgical slags, some of which show intrinsic photocatalytic behavior arising from the presence of oxide constituents, while others act as substrates for introduced photoactive species such as semiconductors. The literature reported here clearly indicates that many of these materials show definite potential as photoactive catalysts for the removal of pollutants from water, and it is certain that with further development, they will achieve an even greater range of important ecological applications in the future.