Pure and drinkable water will be rarer and more expensive as the result of pollution induced by industrialisation, urbanisation and population growth. Among the numerous sources of water pollution, the textile industry has become a major issue because effluents containing dyes are often released in natural water bodies. For instance, about two years are needed to biodegrade dye-derived, carcinogenic aromatic amines, in sediments. Classical remediation methods based upon physicochemical reactions are costly and still generate sludges that contain amine residues. Nonetheless, recent research shows that nanomaterials containing biopolymers are promising to degrade organic pollutants by photocatalysis. Here, we review the synthesis and applications of biopolymeric nanomaterials for photocatalytic degradation of azo dyes. We focus on conducting biopolymers incorporating metal, metal oxide, metal/metal oxide and metal sulphide for improved biodegradation. Biopolymers can be obtained from microorganisms, plants and animals. Unlike fossil-fuel-derived polymers, biopolymers are carbon neutral and thus sustainable in the context of global warming. Biopolymers are often biodegradable and biocompatible.

由于工业化、城市化和人口增长造成的污染，纯净的饮用水将变得更加稀少和昂贵。在众多的水污染源中，纺织业已成为一个主要问题，因为含有染料的废水经常排放到天然水体中。例如，生物降解沉积物中染料衍生的致癌芳香胺大约需要两年时间。基于物理化学反应的经典修复方法成本高昂，并且仍会产生含有胺残留物的污泥。尽管如此，最近的研究表明，含有生物聚合物的纳米材料有望通过光催化降解有机污染物。在这里，我们回顾了用于光催化降解偶氮染料的生物聚合物纳米材料的合成和应用。我们专注于进行包含金属、金属氧化物、金属/金属氧化物和金属硫化物的生物聚合物，以改善生物降解。生物聚合物可以从微生物、植物和动物中获得。与化石燃料衍生的聚合物不同，生物聚合物是碳中性的，因此在全球变暖的背景下是可持续的。生物聚合物通常是可生物降解和生物相容的。