Adsorption and Adsorption-Photocatalytic Degradation of VOCs Based on Carbon Materials: A Review

Volatile organic compounds (VOCs) are hazardous to ecological environment and human health. VOCs treatment technologies contain adsorption, absorption, condensation, membrane separation, catalysis oxidation, biofiltration and recovery methods. Adsorption is considered to be one of the most promising methods for medium and low concentration VOCs removal due to its outstanding features of simple operation, low energy consumption and high recovery efficiency. Additionally, for the treatment of low-concentration VOCs, the combination of photocatalysis and adsorption is emerging as a prospective strategy. Behind these treatment technologies of VOCs, carbon-based materials with large surface area and high VOCs uptake act as a pivotal role. Considering the rapid development and significance of VOCs treatment, it is very important to timely sun up and summarize the research progress in carbon-based adsorbents and adsorbent-photocatalysts for VOC removal. This review firstly summarized and analyzed the VOCs adsorption performance of various carbon materials including activated carbon, activated carbon fibers, biochar, graphene and its derivatives, and carbon nanotubes, etc. Then, the VOCs adsorption-photocatalytic properties of composites comprising different carbon materials and photocatalysts were then presented. Finally, we proposed the perspectives on adsorption and adsorption-photocatalysis of VOCs via carbon materials. This review will provide the optimal reference for the research and development of adsorbents and adsorption-photocatalysts of VOCs.