Abstract
The advent of nanotechnology has given rise to many enthralling advancements in the field of environmental engineering. Metal-based nanocomposites have been very attractive candidates for the treatment and degradation of organic compounds as is evident by their widespread use. Many treatment processes have been reported for wastewater, but till date, advanced oxidation process, which uses semiconductor photocatalysts is thought to be the most effective treatment process as they degrade the harmful dyes by releasing ROS. The nanocomposites degrade the waste by this mechanism. Several metallic nanocomposites find applications in the given area, titanium, bismuth, silver, gold and copper based nanocomposites to name a few. Organic dyes intermingles with water which is a common pollutant coming from different industries pose serious threats to human health as it is carcinogenic in nature. The breakdown of these dyes to simpler forms has been carried out by using nanomaterials. This chapter provides an update on the different metal nanocomposites and their applications in the degradation of organic dyes and to illustrate their efficiency in the area of pollution control. The chapter also intends to provide an insight into the prospects and limitations of the metal nanocomposites for the degradation of organic pollutants.