Cutting-edge materials combining zero-valent iron applied to the photocatalytic treatment of organic contaminants of emerging concern in wastewater

Abstract Zero-valent iron catalysts have recently been evaluated for wastewater remediation applications because of their highly efficient catalytic properties and its low cost, which results from its natural abundance and easy production; although passivation, agglomeration, and corrosion may significantly reduce their activity, limiting their photocatalytic efficiency. ZVI has been combined or doped with different materials to overcome these drawbacks. This review thoroughly presents and integratedly analyzes the most recent and innovative results of ZVI-combining photocatalysts applied to the treatment of contaminants of emerging concern. These newly doped or combined catalysts have addressed a high activity and hold a great potential of application in photocatalysis in the closest future. Further research on ZVI catalysts must be focused on the assessment of its performance applied to the treatment of a wider range of target polluting substances, and the scaling up of high-efficient processes to a feasible industrial level.