Restu Widiatmono, Dahlang Tahir, Vicram Setiawan, Bulkis Musa, Muh Ade Artasasta, Ali Alomari, Abdelilah Akouibaa, Heryanto Heryanto
This review discusses the clay application scheme, the type of clay minerals, and the correlation among bandgap, temperature, and pH, as well as the use of clay minerals and semiconductor materials in the degradation of pollutants, including dyes, pharmaceuticals, and solvents via adsorption-photocatalytic mechanisms. A bibliometric analysis was conducted to evaluate research trends area by collecting 616 documents from the Scopus database from 2000-2024, which were then visualised using OpenRefine, VOSviewer, and Tableau. The results show the most contributing journals, the countries with the highest research activity, and keyword associations that reflect knowledge linkages and scientific collaboration. This review categorizes the various types of clay minerals, highlighting montmorillonite and kaolinite as the types that are utilized frequently, mainly due to their elevated specific surface area and porous structure, which facilitate a variety of applications. In addition, the mechanisms of pollutant degradation by pure clay minerals and in combination with semiconducting materials are also discussed. The structural stability and large surface area make clay minerals an effective support in enhancing the photocatalytic performance of semiconductor materials. Some of the main factors that influence the effectiveness include crystallite size, modification through the integration of semiconductor materials, composite fabrication methods, and environmental conditions during the photocatalytic reaction. Ultimately, our review is expected to provide insight for researchers in developing clay minerals as potential adsorbents for wastewater purification applications. © The Author(s), under exclusive licence to Springer Nature Switzerland AG 2025.
Physics Education Department, Universitas Negeri Yogyakarta, Yogyakarta, 55281, Indonesia; Physics Department, Hasanuddin University, Makassar, 90245, Indonesia; Chemistry Departement, University of Hasanuddin, Makassar, 90425, Indonesia; Biotechnology Program, Departement of Applied Science, Universitas Negeri Malang, Malang, 65145, Indonesia; Department of Physics, Al-Qunfudah University College, Umm Al-Qura University, Makkah, 24231, Saudi Arabia; LIMAT, Physics Department, Hassan II University, Casablanca, 7955, Morocco
