Semiconductor heterojunction photocatalysts: design, construction, and photocatalytic performances.

Semiconductor-mediated photocatalysis has received tremendous attention as it holds great promise to address the worldwide energy and environmental issues. To overcome the serious drawbacks of fast charge recombination and the limited visible-light absorption of semiconductor photocatalysts, many strategies have been developed in the past few decades and the most widely used one is to develop photocatalytic heterojunctions. This review attempts to summarize the recent progress in the rational design and fabrication of heterojunction photocatalysts, such as the semiconductor-semiconductor heterojunction, the semiconductor-metal heterojunction, the semiconductor-carbon heterojunction and the multicomponent heterojunction. The photocatalytic properties of the four junction systems are also discussed in relation to the environmental and energy applications, such as degradation of pollutants, hydrogen generation and photocatalytic disinfection. This tutorial review ends with a summary and some perspectives on the challenges and new directions in this exciting and still emerging area of research.

[1]  Yao Zheng,et al.  Hydrogen evolution by a metal-free electrocatalyst , 2014, Nature Communications.

[2]  Can Li,et al.  Highly efficient photocatalysts constructed by rational assembly of dual-cocatalysts separately on different facets of BiVO4 , 2014 .

[3]  Kyoung-Shin Choi,et al.  Nanoporous BiVO4 Photoanodes with Dual-Layer Oxygen Evolution Catalysts for Solar Water Splitting , 2014, Science.

[4]  Rujia Zou,et al.  Surface decoration of Bi2WO6 superstructures with Bi2O3 nanoparticles: an efficient method to improve visible-light-driven photocatalytic activity , 2013 .

[5]  K. Domen,et al.  Core/Shell photocatalyst with spatially separated co-catalysts for efficient reduction and oxidation of water. , 2013, Angewandte Chemie.

[6]  Markus Antonietti,et al.  Metal nanoparticles at mesoporous N-doped carbons and carbon nitrides: functional Mott-Schottky heterojunctions for catalysis. , 2013, Chemical Society reviews.

[7]  Yongsheng Zhu,et al.  Layered nanojunctions for hydrogen-evolution catalysis. , 2013, Angewandte Chemie.

[8]  Can Li,et al.  Spatial separation of photogenerated electrons and holes among {010} and {110} crystal facets of BiVO4 , 2013, Nature Communications.

[9]  Xuping Sun,et al.  One‐Step Hydrothermal Synthesis of Ag Nanoparticle Decorated Submicrometer‐Scale Spherical AgBr Colloids: A Highly Efficient Visible Light Plasmonic Photocatalyst for Degradation of Organic Dyes , 2013 .

[10]  Shuxin Ouyang,et al.  Selective growth of Ag3PO4 submicro-cubes on Ag nanowires to fabricate necklace-like heterostructures for photocatalytic applications , 2012 .

[11]  Liming Jiang,et al.  Fabrication of visible-light-driven one-dimensional anatase TiO2/Ag heterojunction plasmonic photocatalyst , 2012 .

[12]  Hua Zhang,et al.  Graphene-based composites. , 2012, Chemical Society reviews.

[13]  M. Jaroniec,et al.  Graphene-based semiconductor photocatalysts. , 2012, Chemical Society Reviews.

[14]  Chengzhou Zhu,et al.  Facile solvothermal synthesis of cube-like Ag@AgCl: a highly efficient visible light photocatalyst. , 2011, Nanoscale.

[15]  Jiaguo Yu,et al.  Highly efficient visible-light-driven photocatalytic hydrogen production of CdS-cluster-decorated graphene nanosheets. , 2011, Journal of the American Chemical Society.

[16]  Shuxin Ouyang,et al.  Facile synthesis of rhombic dodecahedral AgX/Ag3PO4 (X = Cl, Br, I) heterocrystals with enhanced photocatalytic properties and stabilities. , 2011, Physical chemistry chemical physics : PCCP.

[17]  Jae Sung Lee,et al.  Heterojunction BiVO4/WO3 electrodes for enhanced photoactivity of water oxidation , 2011 .

[18]  Liejin Guo,et al.  Nanostructured WO₃/BiVO₄ heterojunction films for efficient photoelectrochemical water splitting. , 2011, Nano letters.

[19]  Wenzhong Wang,et al.  Synthesis and enhanced photocatalytic performance of graphene-Bi2WO6 composite. , 2011, Physical chemistry chemical physics : PCCP.

[20]  Jin Zhai,et al.  Hierarchically ordered macro-mesoporous TiO₂-graphene composite films: improved mass transfer, reduced charge recombination, and their enhanced photocatalytic activities. , 2011, ACS nano.

[21]  Yujie Feng,et al.  Synthesis of visible-light responsive graphene oxide/TiO(2) composites with p/n heterojunction. , 2010, ACS nano.

[22]  Yuhan Sun,et al.  One‐Step Solvothermal Synthesis of a Carbon@TiO2 Dyade Structure Effectively Promoting Visible‐Light Photocatalysis , 2010, Advanced materials.

[23]  Yueming Li,et al.  P25-graphene composite as a high performance photocatalyst. , 2010, ACS nano.

[24]  Lisha Zhang,et al.  Effective photocatalytic disinfection of E. coli K-12 using AgBr-Ag-Bi2WO6 nanojunction system irradiated by visible light: the role of diffusing hydroxyl radicals. , 2010, Environmental science & technology.

[25]  Lisha Zhang,et al.  Zn:In(OH)ySz solid solution nanoplates: synthesis, characterization, and photocatalytic mechanism. , 2009, Environmental science & technology.

[26]  Ling Zhang,et al.  3D Bi2WO6/TiO2 Hierarchical Heterostructure: Controllable Synthesis and Enhanced Visible Photocatalytic Degradation Performances , 2009 .

[27]  Yichun Liu,et al.  SnO2 nanostructures-TiO2 nanofibers heterostructures: controlled fabrication and high photocatalytic properties. , 2009, Inorganic chemistry.

[28]  Jincai Zhao,et al.  AgBr-Ag-Bi2WO6 nanojunction system: A novel and efficient photocatalyst with double visible-light active components , 2009 .

[29]  W. Sigmund,et al.  Photocatalytic Carbon‐Nanotube–TiO2 Composites , 2009 .

[30]  M. Antonietti,et al.  Metal‐Containing Carbon Nitride Compounds: A New Functional Organic–Metal Hybrid Material , 2009 .

[31]  M. Antonietti,et al.  A metal-free polymeric photocatalyst for hydrogen production from water under visible light. , 2009, Nature materials.

[32]  Xiaoyan Qin,et al.  Ag@AgCl: a highly efficient and stable photocatalyst active under visible light. , 2008, Angewandte Chemie.

[33]  Di Chen,et al.  Hierarchical WO3 Hollow Shells: Dendrite, Sphere, Dumbbell, and Their Photocatalytic Properties , 2008 .

[34]  Tsuyoshi Takata,et al.  Self-Templated Synthesis of Nanoporous CdS Nanostructures for Highly Efficient Photocatalytic Hydrogen Production under Visible Light , 2008 .

[35]  M. Gholami,et al.  Apatite-coated Ag/AgBr/TiO(2) visible-light photocatalyst for destruction of bacteria. , 2007, Journal of the American Chemical Society.

[36]  Lisha Zhang,et al.  Fabrication of flower-like Bi2WO6 superstructures as high performance visible-light driven photocatalysts , 2007 .

[37]  Yunfeng Lu,et al.  Mesoporous Au/TiO2 nanocomposites with enhanced photocatalytic activity. , 2007, Journal of the American Chemical Society.

[38]  Tomoki Akita,et al.  All-solid-state Z-scheme in CdS–Au–TiO2 three-component nanojunction system , 2006, Nature materials.

[39]  Shengwei Liu,et al.  Sonochemical synthesis of nanocrystallite Bi2O3 as a visible-light-driven photocatalyst , 2006 .

[40]  K. Domen,et al.  Photocatalyst releasing hydrogen from water , 2006, Nature.

[41]  Lisha Zhang,et al.  Preparation of Fenton reagent with H2O2 generated by solar light-illuminated nano-Cu2O/MWNTs composites , 2006 .

[42]  Prashant V Kamat,et al.  Charge separation and catalytic activity of Ag@TiO2 core-shell composite clusters under UV-irradiation. , 2005, Journal of the American Chemical Society.

[43]  Y. Nakato,et al.  An Approach to Ideal Semiconductor Electrodes for Efficient Photoelectrochemical Reduction of Carbon Dioxide by Modification with Small Metal Particles , 1998 .

[44]  S. Martin,et al.  Environmental Applications of Semiconductor Photocatalysis , 1995 .

[45]  Steven L. Suib,et al.  Dichloromethane photodegradation using titanium catalysts , 1989 .

[46]  H. Kojima,et al.  Formation of ethyl alcohol in the photocatalytic reduction of carbon dioxide by SiC and ZnSe/metal powders , 1987 .

[47]  M. Fujihira,et al.  Heterogeneous photocatalytic oxidation of aromatic compounds on TiO2 , 1981, Nature.