8. Catalytic Ozonation of Aromatics in Aqueous Solutions Over Graphene and Their Derivatives

Catalytic ozonation is progressively becoming an attractive technique for quick mineralization of aromatic compounds in water, yet efficient and stable heterogeneous catalysts remain elusive. Graphene (G) and related materials have attracted growing interests as carbocatalysts given their superior specific surface area, facile decoration, and high adsorption capacity. They could not only function as a support for nanocatalysts but also behave as a co-catalyst for the enhancement in ozonation reaction. Some G-based catalysts have been synthesized and reported with unprecedented adsorption-ozonation synergistic effect. In this chapter, the pros and cons of the ozonation reaction catalyzed by G and their derivatives have been discussed tentatively. We focus our attention on the unique properties of G that are of relevance to catalysis, with emphasis on the adsorption, electrostatic interaction, active sites that have been proposed to be responsible for the catalytic activity. Moreover, some challenging issues of G based carbocatalysts have been proposed to be resolved for the future development in this field.