Designing efficient 2D-bismuth oxychloride (BiOCl)/2D-g-C₃N₄ heterojunction photocatalysts by the microwave-assisted method was studied in this work using different amounts of BiOCl plates coupled with g-C₃N₄ nanosheets. The effects of coupling the 2D structure of g-C₃N₄ with the 2D structure of BiOCl were systematically examined by scanning electron microscopy (SEM), energy-dispersive X-ray spectroscopy, X-ray diffraction, photoluminescence (PL), lifetime decay measurement, surface charges of the samples at various pH conditions, and UV–vis diffuse reflectance spectroscopy (UV–vis DRS). The prepared photocatalysts were used for the degradation of amine-based pharmaceuticals, and nizatidine was used as a model pollutant to evaluate the photocatalytic activity. The UV–vis DRS and other optical properties indicated the major effect of coupling of BiOCl with g-C₃N₄ into a 2D/2D structure. The results showed a narrowing in the band gap energy of the composite form, whereas the PL and lifetime analysis showed greater inhibition of the electron–hole recombination process and slightly longer charge carrier lifetime. Accordingly, the BiOCl/g-C₃N₄ composite samples exhibited an enhancement in the photocatalytic performance, specifically for the 10% BiOCl/g-C₃N₄ sample. Moreover, the zeta potential of this sample at different pH values was evaluated to determine the isoelectric point of the synthesized composite material. Consequently, the pH was adjusted to match the isoelectric point of the complex materials, which further enhanced the activity. Further degradation of pharmaceuticals was studied under solar light irradiation, and 96% degradation was achieved within 30 min.

The applications of nanotechnology in the field of water treatment are rapidly expanding and have harvested significant attention from researchers, governments, and industries across the globe. This great interest stems from the numerous benefits, properties, and capabilities that nanotechnology offers in addressing the ever-growing challenges related to water quality, availability, and sustainability. This review paper extensively studies the applications of several nanomaterials including: graphene and its derivative-based adsorbents, CNTs, TiO₂ NPs, ZnO NPs, Ag NPs, Fe NPs, and membrane-based nanomaterials in the purification of drinking water. This, it is hoped, will provide the water treatment sector with efficient materials that can be applied successfully in the water purification process to help in addressing the worldwide water scarcity issue.

The vast demand for petroleum industry products led to the increased production of oily wastewaters and has led to many possible separation technologies. In addition to production-related oily wastewater, direct oil spills are associated with detrimental effects on the local ecosystems. Accordingly, this review paper aims to tackle the oil spill cleanup issue as well as water separation by providing a wide range of graphene-based technologies. These include graphene-based membranes; graphene sponges; graphene-decorated meshes; graphene hydrogels; graphene aerogels; graphene foam; and graphene-coated cotton. Sponges and aerogels modified by graphene and reduced graphene oxide demonstrated effective oil water separation owing to their superhydrophobic/superoleophilic properties. In addition, oil particles are intercepted while allowing water molecules to penetrate the graphene-oxide-coated metal meshes and membranes thanks to their superhydrophilic/underwater superoleophobic properties. Finally, we offer future perspectives on oil water separation that are hindering the advancements of such technologies and their large-scale applications.