INTODUCTION

There has been a lot of interest in using graphene to increase

photocatalyst efficiency. This is a result of the two-
dimensional (2-D) material's special optical and electrical
characteristics. The recent major developments in the
creation and utilization of hybrid photocatalysts based on
graphene are the main subject of this study. The article
describes the synthetic approaches used to create composite
semiconductor photocatalysts. The new materials' uses in
photocatalytic hydrogen evolution, antimicrobial systems,
and pollution degradation are discussed. There is also
discussion of the difficulties and prospects for the
advancement of graphene-based photocatalysts in the future.
Photochemistry

Photochemistry is the study of the chemical reactions and

physical changes that result from interactions between matter
and visible or ultraviolet light.
the chemistry of electronically excited states and actually treats
the chemical reactions of such states. The absorption of a
photon is simply the most convenient way for generating them,
although there are also thermal entries to excited states.

There are two key features of photochemical reactions which

give them special importance over thermal reactions.
First, the reactions take place in the excited state of the
molecules having a large excess of energy compared to ground
state,
• it is often possible to effect reactions which are
thermodynamically unfavorable due
to their ground-state reactants.
Second, the reactions are usually
carried out at low temperatures so
that the products can be formed in
cold.
• Hence, it is often possible to make
highly strained ring systems by pumping out excess energy as
light to overcome the activation energy barrier in their
formations.

Activation Energy
• Generally, energy is supplied to bring a chemical
transformation.
• The reacting molecule first acquire enough energy
to cross the energy barrier separating reactants and
products.
• This required amount of energy is known as
Activation energy (Ea).

Light Absorption
Absorption and emission processes are fundamental aspects of
photochemistry, offering insights into how molecules interact
with light and undergo transformations. Let's delve into
absorption, fluorescence, phosphorescence, and remission in
the context of photochemistry:
Absorption:
Absorption in photochemistry refers to the process by which a
molecule absorbs photons, typically from ultraviolet (UV) or
visible light, causing electronic transitions within the molecule.
When a molecule absorbs a photon, it promotes one or more
electrons to higher energy levels, creating an excited state. The
energy of the absorbed photon must match the energy
difference between the ground state and the excited state.
Understanding absorption is crucial as it determines the
wavelengths of light a molecule can absorb and, therefore, the
type of reactions it can undergo. This forms the basis for
designing materials in various applications, such as solar cells
and photodetectors.
Only UV-visible region of electromagnetic spectrum [180 nm to
800 nm] are effective to produce chemical transformation
because this region have sufficient energy for electronic
promotion.
A radiative transition from a lower to a higher electronic state
of a molecule. The energy of the photon is converted to the
internal energy of the molecule. A molecule is promoted from
its ground state to a higher state by absorption of a photon
which is represented by the
blue arrows.
Fluorescence:
Fluorescence is a process where a molecule in an excited state
returns to its ground state by emitting a photon, usually of
lower energy than the absorbed photon.
After absorption, the excited molecule can release its excess
energy in the form of fluorescence. The emitted light typically
occurs within nanoseconds of photon absorption.
Fluorescence is widely utilized in fields like biochemistry for
imaging, as fluorescent dyes and markers can be employed to
visualize cellular structures and processes.
Phosphorescence:
Phosphorescence is a process similar to fluorescence, but with
a longer-lived excited state, leading to a delayed emission of
photons.
In phosphorescence, the excited state is a triplet state, which is
less likely to return to the ground state quickly. As a result,
phosphorescence has a longer lifetime compared to
fluorescence, ranging from milliseconds to hours.
Phosphorescent materials find applications in glow-in-the-dark
products, as well as in certain organic light-emitting diodes
(OLEDs) and sensors.
Remission:
Remission refers to the release of absorbed energy in a non-
radiative form, such as heat. It is an alternative deactivation
pathway for molecules in an excited state.
Instead of emitting a photon, the excited molecule dissipates its
excess energy as heat during remission, returning to the ground
state without photon emission.
Remission competes with fluorescence and phosphorescence in
determining the fate of an excited molecule. Understanding
these processes aids in tailoring materials for specific
applications, such as optimizing the efficiency of luminescent
devices.
Graphene
Graphene is the name given to a flat monolayer of carbon
atoms tightly packed into a two-dimensional (2D) honeycomb
lattice and is a basic building block for graphitic materials of all
other dimensionalities. It can be wrapped up into 0D fullerenes,
rolled into 1D nanotubes or stacked into 3D graphite.
Theoretically, graphene (or '2D graphite') has been studied for
sixty years and is widely used for describing properties of
various carbon-based materials. Forty years later, although
known as an integral part of 3D materials, graphene was
presumed not to exist in the free state, being described as an
'academic' material and was believed to be unstable with
respect to the formation
of curved structures
such as soot, fullerenes,
and nanotubes.
Suddenly, the vintage
model turned into
reality, when free-
standing graphene was
unexpectedly found three years ago — and especially when the
follow-up experiments confirmed that its charge carriers were
indeed massless Dirac fermions. So, the graphene 'gold rush'
has begun.
References
Wardle, B. (2009). Principles and applications of photochemistry. John Wiley & Sons.

Eigler, S., & Hirsch, A. (2014). Chemistry with graphene and graphene oxide—challenges for synthetic
chemists. Angewandte Chemie International Edition, 53(30), 7720-7738.