Covalent Organic Frameworks for Photocatalytic Organic Transformation

Photocatalytic organic transformation is an efficient, energysaving and environmentally friendly strategy for organic synthesis. The key to developing a green and economical route for photocatalytic organic synthesis lies in the construction of optimal photocatalysts. Covalent organic frameworks(COFs), a kind of porous crystalline materials with characteristics of high surface area, excellent porosity, and superior thermo-chemical stability, have driven people to explore their potential as photocatalysts in photocatalytic organic transformations by virtue of their structural versatility and designability. Furthermore, the insolubility of COFs makes it possible to recycle the catalysts by simple technical means. In recent years, researchers have made great efforts to develop both the design strategies of COFs as heterogeneous photocatalysts and the reaction types of photocatalytic organic transformations. In this review, we focus on the design of COF-based photocatalytic materials and analyze the influence factors of photocatalytic performance. Moreover, we summarize the application of COFbased photocatalysts in photocatalytic organic conversion. Finally, the perspectives on new opportunities and challenges in the field are discussed.     

Recent advances in BiOBr-based photocatalysts for environmental remediation

The efficient utilization of solar energy through photocatalysis is ideal for solving environmental issues and the development sustainable future. BiOBr-based semiconductors possess unique narrowed bandgaps and layered structures, thereby widely studied as photocatalysts for environmental remediation. However, a little has been focused on the comprehensive reviewing of BiOBr despite its extensive and promising applications. In this review, the state-of-the-art developments of BiOBr-based photocatalysts for environmental remediation are summarized. Particular focus is paid to the synthetic strategies for the control of the resulting morphologies, as well as efficient modification strategies for improving the photocatalytic activities. These include boosting the bulk phase by charge separation, enhancing the spatial charge separation, and engineering the surface states. The environmental uses of BiOBr-based photocatalysts are also reviewed in terms of purification of pollutants and CO₂ reduction. Finally, future challenges and opportunities of BiOBr-based materials in photocatalysis are discussed. Overall, this review provides a good basis for future exploration of high-efficiency solar-driven photocatalysts for environmental sustainability.     

Hydrophilic Conjugated Materials for Photocatalytic Hydrogen Evolution

Photocatalytic hydrogen evolution is viewed as a promising green strategy to utilize the inexhaustible solar energy and provide clean hydrogen fuels with zero‐emission characteristic. The nature of semiconductor‐based photocatalysts is the key point to achieve efficient photocatalytic hydrogen evolution. Conjugated materials have been recently emerging as a novel class of photocatalysts for hydrogen evolution and photocatalytic reactions due to their electronic properties can be well controlled via tailor‐made chemical structures. Hydrophilic conjugated materials, a subgroup of conjugated materials, possess multiple advantages for photocatalytic applications, thus spurring remarkable progress on both material realm and photocatalytic applications. This minireview aims to provide a brief review of the recent developments of hydrophilic conjugated polymers/small molecules for photocatalytic applications, and special concern on the rational molecular design and their impact on photocatalytic performance will be reviewed. Perspectives on the hydrophilic conjugated materials and challenges to their applications in the photocatalytic field are also presented.     

Amorphous and Crystalline 2D Polymeric Carbon Nitride Nanosheets for Photocatalytic Hydrogen/Oxygen Evolution and Hydrogen Peroxide Production

Photocatalytic reactions, including hydrogen/oxygen generation, water splitting and hydrogen peroxide production, are regarded as a renewable and promising method to harvest and use solar energy. The key to achieving this goal is to explore efficient photocatalysts with high productivity. Recently, two‐dimensional (2D) polymeric carbon nitride nanosheets were reported as efficient photocatalysts toward various products because of their outstanding properties, such as high specific surface area, more reactive sites, the quantum effect in thickness and unique electronic properties. This minireview attempts to overview recent advances in the preparation, structure and properties of crystalline and amorphous carbon nitride nanosheets, and their applications in photocatalytic hydrogen/oxygen evolution, water splitting and hydrogen peroxide production. We also thoroughly discuss the effect of defects, dopants and composites on the photocatalytic efficiency of these carbon nitride nanosheets. Finally, we outlook the ongoing opportunities and future challenges for 2D carbon nitride nanosheets in the field of photocatalysis.     

Crystal facet engineering of semiconductor photocatalysts: motivations, advances and unique properties

Crystal facet engineering of semiconductors has become an important strategy for fine-tuning the physicochemical properties and thus optimizing the reactivity and selectivity of photocatalysts. In this review, we present the basic strategies for crystal facet engineering of photocatalysts and describe the recent advances in synthesizing faceted photocatalysts, in particular TiO(2) crystals. The unique properties of faceted photocatalysts are discussed in relation to anisotropic corrosion, interaction dependence of adsorbates, photocatalytic selectivity, photo-reduction and oxidation sites, and photocatalytic reaction order. Ideas for future research on crystal facet engineering for improving the performance of photocatalysts are also proposed.     

Effect of HF treatment on the activity of TiO2 thin films for photocatalytic water splitting

The effects of HF treatment on the activity of TiO₂ thin films for the photocatalytic water splitting reaction have been investigated. TiO₂ thin films treated with HF solution (HF-TiO₂) were found to exhibit a remarkable enhancement of the photocatalytic activity for H₂ evolution from a methanol aqueous solution, as well as efficient photoelectrochemical performance under UV light irradiation as compared with the untreated TiO₂. Moreover, Pt-loaded HF-TiO₂ thin films were found to act as efficient and stable photocatalysts for the decomposition of water under UV light irradiation. The mechanistic insights obtained in the present study will be useful in the design of highly efficient photocatalysts for the decomposition of water.     

Bi2WO6基光催化剂在环境和能源领域的最新研究进展

随着全球经济的快速发展与人口的日益膨胀,随之而来的能源消耗与环境污染也日益成为一个严峻的挑战.半导体光催化技术能够将低密度的太阳能转化为高密度的化学能,此外它能够通过产生活性自由基来降解空气或水中的污染物,因此在解决上述问题中具有巨大潜力,被认为是有着广阔前景的绿色无污染的能源转化和环境修复手段.在过去几十年的研究中,一些光催化剂表现出了较好的光催化活性,如TiO2和ZnO等.然而,由于它们的宽带隙,仅仅在紫外光下具有活性,这极大地限制了其对太阳光的利用.为了尽可能地利用太阳能,研究者们开发了许多具有可见光活性的光催化剂.钨酸铋(Bi2WO6)作为一种典型的Aurivillius层状钙钛矿材料,因具有独特的层状结构、良好的可见光催化活性、高的热稳定性和光化学稳定性及环境友好性等特点而备受关注.然而,有限的光吸收和光生载流子的快速复合阻碍了Bi2WO6光催化性能的进一步提高.因此,研究者们进行了大量的研究,致力于进一步增强Bi2WO6光催化剂的活性.本文对Bi2WO6基光催化剂的最新研究进展进行了系统综述.首先介绍了Bi2WO6的晶体结构、光学性质和光催化基本原理.然后,基于Bi2WO6的改性策略,包括形貌控制、原子调控和复合材料制备,重点讨论了Bi2WO6在水分解、污染物处理、空气净化、杀菌消毒、二氧化碳还原、选择性有机合成等领域的光催化应用.最后,对Bi2WO6基光催化剂当前面临的挑战和未来的发展作了展望和总结,提出了Bi2WO6光催化剂未来的一些研究方向,包括(1)大规模、精确可控地合成Bi2WO6,特别是高活性晶面、多孔结构和量子点的设计;(2)精确调控原子位置,利用先进的技术手段进一步揭示活性位点上的光催化过程;(3)发展原位表征技术来观察复合光催化剂的界面电荷动力学以及开发新型Bi2WO6基复合体系.(4)通过机械应力、温度梯度以及电场等外场的耦合提高Bi2WO6的光催化性能;(5)进一步深入研究Bi2WO6在不同领域的光催化应用,特别是在肿瘤治疗和太阳能燃料制备方面,一些新的应用如固氮等也值得探索.期望本综述能够为Bi2WO6和其他高效光催化材料的设计提供一些指导和帮助.     

Two-dimensional Covalent Organic Frameworks: Intrinsic Synergy Promoting Photocatalytic Hydrogen Evolution

Covalent organic frameworks(COFs) are emerging photocatalysts for hydrogen evolution in water splitting in recent years. They offer a pre-designable platform to design tailor-made structures and chemically adjustable functionality in terms of photocatalysis. In this review, we summarize the recent striking progress of COF-based photocatalysts in design and synthesis. Firstly, different approaches to functionalizing building blocks, diversifying linkages, extending π-conjugation and establishing D-A conjugation are illustrated for enhancing photocatalytic activity. Next, post-modification of backbones and pores is detailed for emphasizing the synergistic catalytic uniqueness of COFs. Besides, the strategy of preparing COF-related composites with various semiconductors is outlined for optimizing the electronic properties. Finally, we conclude with the current challenges and promising opportunities for the exploration of new COF-based photocatalysts.     

Nitrogen Doping and Carbon Coating Affects Substrate Selectivity of TiO2 Photocatalytic Organic Pollutant Degradation

A series of carbon-coated, nitrogen-doped titanium dioxide photocatalysts was produced and characterized. N-doped TiO₂ powder samples were prepared using a sol-gel method and subsequently used for making doped-TiO₂ thin films on glass substrates. Carbon layers were coated on the films by a thermal decomposition method using catechol. Diffuse reflectance spectra and Mott-Schottky analyses of the samples proved that nitrogen doping and carbon coating can slightly lower the band gap of TiO₂, broaden its absorption to visible light and enhance its n-type character. According to photocatalytic tests against model contaminants, carbon-coated nitrogen-doped TiO₂ films have better performance than simple TiO₂ on the degradation of Rhodamine B dye molecules, but are poorly effective for degrading 4-chlorophenol molecules. Several possible explanations are proposed for this result, supported by scavenging experiments. This reveals the importance of a broad substrate scope when assessing new photocatalytic materials for water treatment, something which is often overlooked in many literature studies.     

中空纳米材料的构建原理及其在光催化制氢和二氧化碳还原反应中的应用

随着全球经济的快速发展,能源短缺与环境污染成为当今世界共同关注的热点问题,开发和利用洁净能源成为当务之急.近年,以半导体为基础的光催化技术引起了国内外的广泛关注,其中包括光催化分解水制氢、光催化还原CO2、光催化固氮以及光催化降解污染物等.尤其太阳能驱动的光催化分解水和光催化CO2还原均可将太阳能转化为可储存和运输的化...     

Design of Advanced Functional Materials Using Nanoporous Single‐Site Photocatalysts

Nanoporous silica solids can offer opportunities for hosting photocatalytic components such as various tetra‐coordinated transition metal ions to form systems referred to as “single‐site photocatalysts”. Under UV/visible‐light irradiation, they form charge transfer excited states, which exhibit a localized charge separation and thus behave differently from those of bulk semiconductor photocatalysts exemplified by TiO₂. This account presents an overview of the design of advanced functional materials based on the unique photo‐excited mechanisms of single‐site photocatalysts. Firstly, the incorporation of single‐site photocatalysts within transparent porous silica films will be introduced, which exhibit not only unique photocatalytic properties, but also high surface hydrophilicity with self‐cleaning and antifogging applications. Secondary, photo‐assisted deposition (PAD) of metal precursors on single‐site photocatalysts opens up a new route to prepare nanoparticles. Thirdly, visible light sensitive photocatalysts with single and/or binary oxides moieties can be prepared so as to use solar light, the ideal energy source.     

Recent advances of doped graphite carbon nitride for photocatalytic reduction of CO2: a review

CO₂ is the main gas that causes the “greenhouse effect,” and it is also a rich carbon resource. The photocatalytic conversion of CO₂ into fuel not only relieves the pressure brought by the environment pollution, but also is promising way to achieve the carbon cycle and address the problem of energy shortage. It is essential to design efficient photocatalysts for the practical application of photocatalytic CO₂ conversion. Doped graphite carbon nitride (g-C₃N₄) has a reduced bandgap, increased light absorption and effective charge separation and transfer efficiency. Recently, its application has been extended to the field of photocatalytic reduction of CO₂. In this review, we first discuss the basic principles of photocatalytic reduction of CO₂, then focus on the application of g-C₃N₄ doped with different elements in the photocatalytic reduction of CO₂ in recent years, and then summarize different doping methods. Finally, challenges and opportunities are presented, and potential solutions are proposed for future research.

     

Design of Single‐Site Photocatalysts by Using Metal–Organic Frameworks as a Matrix

Single‐site photocatalysts generally display excellent photocatalytic activity and considerably high stability compared with homogeneous catalytic systems. A rational structural design of single‐site photocatalysts with isolated, uniform, and spatially separated active sites in a given solid is of prime importance to achieve high photocatalytic activity. Intense attention has been focused on the design and fabrication of single‐site photocatalysts by using porous materials as a platform. Metal–organic frameworks (MOFs) have great potential in the design and fabrication of single‐site photocatalysts due to their remarkable porosity, ultrahigh surface area, extraordinary tailorability, and significant diversity. MOFs can provide an abundant number of binding sites to anchor active sites, which results in a significant enhancement in photocatalytic performance. In this focus review, the development of single‐site MOF photocatalysts that perform important and challenging chemical redox reactions, such as photocatalytic H₂ production, photocatalytic CO₂ conversion, and organic transformations, is summarized thoroughly. Successful strategies for the construction of single‐site MOF photocatalysts are summarized and major challenges in their practical applications are noted.     

二氧化钛基Z型光催化剂综述(英文)

TiO_2具有无毒、耐腐蚀、高稳定和低成本等特点,已被广泛应用于光催化领域.然而,TiO_2的禁带较宽,只能吸收仅占太阳光4%的紫外光部分,从而严重限制了TiO_2光催化材料对太阳光的有效应用.目前很多方法被用来提高TiO_2光催化效率,如金属/非金属掺杂、贵金属负载、异质结构建和与碳材料复合等,这些策略在提高光催化剂的光催化效率中,涉及到如何兼顾太阳光利用和光生空穴和电子氧化还原能力两者之间的平衡.通常,半导体禁带宽度越窄,半导体的光谱响应范围越宽、太阳光利用越多,但光生空穴和电子氧化还原能力越弱.因此,想要提高TiO_2的光催化性能,应考虑以下两个方面的平衡:即降低带隙宽度,拓展半导体的光谱响应范围;与之同时使价带电位更正,导带电位更负之间的平衡.然而,这两个点是相互矛盾的,因此很难在单组分光催化剂中同时实现这两点.然而,Z型光催化剂可以同时满足这两点要求,即:降低半导体的带隙,同时使导带更负,价带更正,因为Z光催化系统利用了两种半导体的优势,其电荷转移机制类似于自然界中绿色植物的光合作用,其中的载流子传输途径包括两步激发,类似于英文字母"Z",Z型光催化剂因此而得名.Z型光催化剂既能保留较高还原能力的光生电子和又能保留较高氧化能力的光生空穴,由于Z型光催化剂特有的优点,在光催化领域的应用越来越广泛.本文综述了TiO_2基Z型光催化剂的最新研究进展,其中包括:Z型光催化机理、应用范围和光催化活性改进方法.Z型光催化剂分为传统液相Z型光催化体系,全固态Z型光催化体系,以及最近几年发展起来的直接Z型光催化体系.它们的主要应用包括:光催化分解水产氢、二氧化碳还原制备太阳燃料、有机污染物光催化降解.论文进一步讨论了提高TiO_2基Z型光催化剂性能的方法,包括pH值调控、电子导体选择、助催化剂使用、掺杂改性、组织形貌控制、两种半导体质量比优化等.最后,提出了TiO_2基Z型光催化剂今后面临的挑战和发展前景展望.     

层状双金属氢氧化物基光催化剂的研究进展

层状双金属氢氧化物(LDHs)具有组分可调、层板金属离子高度分散、层间阴离子可交换、拓扑转变等特性,使其可作为理想的光催化剂、催化剂载体或前驱体。作为一种新型多功能材料,LDHs基光催化剂在环境净化、能源储备、工业催化和生物医学等多个领域广泛应用。但是,选择合适的路径进一步优化LDHs基光催化剂的性能,以实现太阳能的高效利用及催化反应过程的高转化率和高选择性仍然具有很大的挑战性。本文依据LDHs的结构特点及活性组分引入方式,将LDHs基光催化剂的制备方法总结归纳为主体层板构筑法、客体插层敏化法、剥离层层组装法、复合材料杂化法四类,详细介绍了不同制备方法对光催化性能的影响,综述其最新研究进展;并结合LDHs基光催化材料的应用,介绍其光催化行为和机理;最后,对LDHs基光催化剂的应用前景进行分析和展望。     

Integration of [(Co(bpy)3]2+ Electron Mediator with Heterogeneous Photocatalysts for CO2 Conversion

An efficient chemical system for electron generation and transfer is constructed by the integration of an electron mediator ([Co(bpy)₃]²⁺; bpy=2,2′‐bipyridine) with semiconductor photocatalysts. The introduction of [Co(bpy)₃]²⁺ remarkably enhances the photocatalytic activity of pristine semiconductor photocatalysts for heterogeneous CO₂ conversion; this is attributable to the acceleration of charge separation. Of particular interest is that the excellent photocatalytic activity of heterogeneous catalysts can be developed as a universal photocatalytic CO₂ reduction system. The present findings clearly demonstrate that the integration of an electron mediator with semiconductors is a feasible process for the design and development of efficient photochemical systems for CO₂ conversion.     

Morphology-Controlled Synthesis and Applications of Silver Halide Photocatalytic Materials

Semiconductor photocatalysis is considered to be one of the most promising technologies to solve the worldwide environmental and energy issues. In recent years, silver halide (AgX)-based photocatalytic materials have received increasing research attention owing to its excellent visible light-driven photocatalytic performances in the applications of organic pollutant degradation, H₂/O₂ generation, and disinfection. AgX-based materials used in photocatalytic fields can be classified into three categories: AgX (Ag/AgX), AgX composites, and supported AgX materials. For the AgX (Ag/AgX) photocatalysts, it has been widely accepted that the final photocatalytic performances of photocatalysts are severely dependent on their morphological structures as well as exposed crystal facets. As a result, considerable efforts have been devoted to fabricating different morphological AgX photocatalysts as well as exploring the relationship between the morphological structures and photocatalytic performances. In this review, we mainly introduce the recent developments made in fabricating morphology and facet-controllable AgX (Ag/AgX) photocatalytic materials. Moreover, this review also deals with the photocatalytic mechanism and applications of AgX (Ag/AgX) and supported AgX materials.     

Graphene/inorganic nanocomposites: Evolving photocatalysts for solar energy conversion for environmental remediation

Current energy crisis and environmental issues, including depletion of fossil fuels, rapid industrialization, and undesired CO₂ emission resulting in global warming has created havoc for the global population and significantly affected the quality of life. In this scenario the environmental problems in the forefront of research priorities. Development of renewable energy resources particularly the efficient conversion of solar light to sustainable energy is crucial in addressing environmental problems. In this regard, the synthesis of semiconductors-based photocatalysts has emerged as an effective tool for different photocatalytic applications and environmental remediation. Among different photocatalyst options available, graphene and graphene derivatives such as, graphene oxide (GO), highly reduced graphene oxide (HRG), and doped graphene (N, S, P, B-HRG) have become rising stars on the horizon of semiconductors-based photocatalytic applications. Graphene is a single layer of graphite consisting of a unique planar structure, high conductivity, greater electron mobility, and significantly very high specific surface area. Besides, the recent advancements in synthetic approaches have led to the cost-effective production of graphene-based materials on a large-scale. Therefore, graphene-based materials have gained considerable recognition for the production of semiconducting photocatalysts involving other semiconducting materials. The graphene-based semiconductors photocatalysts surpasses electron-holes pairs recombination rate and lowers the energy band gap by tailoring the valence band (VB) and conduction band (CB) leading to the enhanced photocatalytic performance of hybrid photocatalysts. Herein, we have summarized the latest developments in designing and fabrication of graphene-based semiconducting photocatalysts using a variety of commonly applied methods such as, post-deposition methods, in-situ binding methods, hydrothermal and/or solvothermal approaches. In addition, we will discuss the photocatalytic properties of the resulting graphene-based hybrid materials for various environmental remediation processes such as; (i) clean H₂ fuel production, photocatalytic (ii) pollutants degradation, (iii) photo-redox organic transformation and (iv) photo-induced CO₂ reduction. On the whole, by the inclusion of more than 300 references, this review possibly covered in detail the aspects of graphene-based semiconductor photocatalysts for environmental remediation processes. Finally, the review will conclude a short summary and discussion about future perspectives, challenges and new directions in these emerging areas of research.     

Layered photocatalytic nanomaterials for environmental applications

The increasing pollution and human demand for a cleaner environment have made achieving the environmental sustainability a current research focus. As a “green” technology, semiconductor photocatalysis is of great significance to the environmental purification. Benefiting from the unique anisotropic crystal structure and electronic properties, layered photocatalytic nanomaterials show great potential for efficient photocatalytic environmental treatment. This review comprehensively summarizes the recent progress on layered photocatalytic nanomaterials for oxidation or reduction of pollutants in water and air along with the basic understanding of related mechanisms and developments in this field. First, the existing diversified layered photocatalysts are classified, and their different synthesis and modification strategies are discussed in detail to provide a comprehensive view of the material design that affects their photocatalytic performance. Subsequently, the extensive applications of the above-mentioned layered photocatalytic nanomaterials in environmental fields are systematically summarized, including photooxidation of water and air pollutants, and photoreduction of heavy metal pollutants, NO₃^?, BrO₃^? and CO₂. Finally, based on the current research achievements in layered photocatalysts for environmental remediation, the future development direction and challenges are proposed.     

Graphene-based semiconductor photocatalysts

Graphene, a single layer of graphite, possesses a unique two-dimensional structure, high conductivity, superior electron mobility and extremely high specific surface area, and can be produced on a large scale at low cost. Thus, it has been regarded as an important component for making various functional composite materials. Especially, graphene-based semiconductor photocatalysts have attracted extensive attention because of their usefulness in environmental and energy applications. This critical review summarizes the recent progress in the design and fabrication of graphene-based semiconductor photocatalysts via various strategies including in situ growth, solution mixing, hydrothermal and/or solvothermal methods. Furthermore, the photocatalytic properties of the resulting graphene-based composite systems are also discussed in relation to the environmental and energy applications such as photocatalytic degradation of pollutants, photocatalytic hydrogen generation and photocatalytic disinfection. This critical review ends with a summary and some perspectives on the challenges and new directions in this emerging area of research (158 references).