Review
Chemistry, Multidisciplinary
Linxi Wang, Chuanbiao Bie, Jiaguo Yu
Summary: This study analyzes the challenges of photocatalytic mechanisms in liquid-phase and all-solid-state Z-scheme systems from various perspectives, including thermodynamics, charge-transfer dynamics, applicability, and practical synthesis. It highlights the challenges for electron transfer in liquid-phase Z-scheme systems, where the dynamic motion of photocatalyst nanoparticles and redox couples, as well as the prohibition of transferring free electrons via water media, ultimately led to the flourishing of step-scheme heterojunctions.
TRENDS IN CHEMISTRY
(2022)
Article
Chemistry, Multidisciplinary
Shuanghong Liu, Siyu Xia, Jiefei Wang, Xitong Ren, Sudi Chen, Yong Zhong, Feng Bai
Summary: In this study, zinc porphyrin-assembled nanorods (ZnTPyP) and WO3 nanorods' nanorod-on-nanorod heterojunctions (ZnTPyP/WO3) were successfully prepared. The ZnTPyP/WO3 nanorod-on-nanorod heterojunctions exhibited a structure-dependent photocatalytic performance for hydrogen production. The improvement in the photocatalytic hydrogen production efficiency could be mainly attributed to the direct Z-scheme electron-transfer mechanism from WO3 to ZnTPyP.
Article
Engineering, Environmental
Wissem Ben Soltan, Mohnad Abdalla, Karim Harrath, Jianbiao Peng, Yakun Zhang, Zhiguo Cao, Haijin Liu
Summary: Decorating semiconductor photocatalysts with metal nanoparticles enhances their performance through localized-surface-plasma-resonance (LSPR) effect. In this study, a LSPR enhanced Pd/WO3@SnO2 photocatalyst was synthesized, showing excellent photocatalytic performance and reusability. The photocatalyst achieved 100% degradation of Rhodamine B after 1 hour under simulated sunlight, with reaction rate constants significantly higher than other photocatalysts. The proposed mechanism involves enhanced electron transfer, with Pd nanoparticles acting as electron-transfer bridges and LSPR excitation sources.
JOURNAL OF ENVIRONMENTAL CHEMICAL ENGINEERING
(2023)
Article
Chemistry, Physical
Yuyang Kang, Haozhi Qi, Gedeng Wan, Chao Zhen, Xiaoxiang Xu, Li-Chang Yin, Lianzhou Wang, Gang Liu, Hui-Ming Cheng
Summary: This research proposes to suppress the side reaction of redox mediator in photocatalytic water splitting by using ferroelectric polarization. By constructing a Z-scheme system with single-domain ferroelectric nanoplates, stable high activity for photocatalytic overall water splitting is achieved.
Article
Chemistry, Multidisciplinary
Pooja J. Ayare, Noelle Watson, Maizie R. Helton, Matthew J. Warner, Tristan Dilbeck, Kenneth Hanson, Aaron K. Vannucci
Summary: This research demonstrates the photocatalytic synthesis of H2 using a multiphoton mechanism, where both a molecular photocatalyst and a substituted naphthol are excited in the presence of a sacrificial electron donor and proton source. The unique use of a naphthol molecule as both a light absorber and H2 producing catalyst offers a new paradigm for the production of solar fuels in uphill reactions.
JOURNAL OF THE AMERICAN CHEMICAL SOCIETY
(2022)
Article
Chemistry, Multidisciplinary
Eser M. Akinoglu, Dijon A. Hoogeveen, Chang Cao, Alexandr N. Simonov, Jacek J. Jasieniak
Summary: The introduction of metal halide perovskites to photocatalysis has great potential due to their attractive optoelectronic properties. Emerging developments of MHP-based Z-scheme heterostructures show promise for efficient photocatalysis of demanding redox processes. Compared to traditional semiconductor materials, MHPs offer unique advantages and significant potential in the field of photocatalysis.
Article
Chemistry, Applied
Chunyan Zhang, Jin Miao, Lin Guo, Tao Tan, Wei Cai, Xiang Lei, Yanrui Li, Zhenhua Wang
Summary: Photocatalysis technology, as an environmentally friendly technology, has great potential in the fields of photoelectric energy and environmental pollutants treatment. Perovskite materials, with narrow band gap, high quantum efficiency, and high carrier mobility, have attracted much attention as photocatalysts. However, the electron-hole separation rate for a single perovskite is still low. In this study, a CsPbBr3/UiO-66 composite photocatalyst was prepared using a heterojunction strategy, which exhibited excellent photocatalytic performance due to the efficient Z-scheme charge migration mechanism.
APPLIED ORGANOMETALLIC CHEMISTRY
(2023)
Article
Nanoscience & Nanotechnology
Meijuan Chen, Wei Wang, Yu Huang, Jichang Han, Yang Zhang, Tongxi Yang, Jinghan Zhao, Liyun Zhao, Wingkei Ho
Summary: In this study, a Z-shaped heterojunction C-TiO2/rGO composite was successfully constructed to optimize the photodegraded NO efficiency. It was found that the interactions between C-TiO2 nanoparticles and rGO sheets played a positive role in light absorption, photo-generated charge separation, NO adsorption, and reactive oxygen species formation, resulting in enhanced photodegrade NO activity.
Article
Chemistry, Physical
Lingzhi Huang, Jinyu Bao, Wei Quan, Xueyang Li, Tingting Zhao, Yunqi Ning, Wenting Lu, Kehong Liu, Fengyao Ren, Hongwei Tian
Summary: A Z-scheme LaFeO3/MoS2/graphene photocatalyst was synthesized and tested for the degradation of dye wastewater. The photocatalyst showed high efficiency and stable performance, attributed to the synergistic effect between LaFeO3 and MoS2/graphene co-catalyst and the optimized Z-scheme heterojunction interface.
JOURNAL OF ALLOYS AND COMPOUNDS
(2023)
Article
Chemistry, Physical
Junhui Yi, Haoxian Zeng, Hai Lin, Minghao Li, Runkun Xie, Beifang Chen, Runsi Ding, Zhenghui Liu, Dehao Li, Ning Li
Summary: In this paper, a direct Z-scheme Ag2O/Bi2MoO6 heterostructured microspheres with good interfacial properties were successfully prepared. Various techniques were used to characterize the structure, morphology, composition, electrochemical and optical properties of the product. The composite exhibited excellent catalytic performance, with a visible degradation efficiency of 86% in 90 minutes and a photocurrent efficiency of 0.8 mu A/cm2. The enhanced activity was attributed to the formation of a good interfacial contact between Ag2O and Bi2MoO6, and hole and superoxide were identified as the main active species. This work provides a new perspective for the rational design of Bi2MoO6-based Z-scheme heterojunctions for environmental remediation.
JOURNAL OF ALLOYS AND COMPOUNDS
(2023)
Article
Materials Science, Multidisciplinary
Yinyi Ma, Zemin Zhang, Xiao Jiang, Rongke Sun, Mingzheng Xie, Weihua Han
Summary: This study successfully constructed a direct Z-scheme Sn-In2O3/In2S3 heterogeneous photocatalyst, which showed efficient photocatalytic activity in carbon dioxide reduction with optimized design and Pt co-catalyst. High CH4 and CO yields were achieved as a result. The favorable photoelectrochemical performance was attributed to the effective light absorption of In2S3 and improved charge transfer efficiency due to the direct Z-scheme structure of the composite photocatalyst. This work provides new ideas for preparing highly efficient recyclable photocatalytic systems through Z-scheme nanostructured heterojunctions.
JOURNAL OF MATERIALS CHEMISTRY C
(2021)
Article
Chemistry, Physical
Lumeng Jia, Chun Wang, Hui Liu, Rufen Chen, Kezhong Wu
Summary: In this study, defect-enriched SCF/MoS2 direct Z-scheme composites were successfully prepared and demonstrated to exhibit superior photocatalytic activity for visible light degradation of organic pollutants.
JOURNAL OF ALLOYS AND COMPOUNDS
(2022)
Article
Engineering, Environmental
Ruting Yuan, Mingtao Wang, Lijun Liao, Wei Hu, Ziyu Liu, Zhaohui Liu, Liping Guo, Ke Li, Yuezhi Cui, Feng Lin, Furong Tao, Wei Zhou
Summary: In this study, a Bi2WO6/TiO2 heterojunction photocatalyst was fabricated to achieve 100% inhibition of N2O formation during photo-SCR of NOx. The optimized composite showed high photocatalytic efficiency and provided a new perspective for fabricating catalysts in the field of pollutants removal with toxic byproduct control.
CHEMICAL ENGINEERING JOURNAL
(2023)
Article
Chemistry, Multidisciplinary
Yukun Zhu, Jun Ren, Guiqing Huang, Chung-Li Dong, Yu-Cheng Huang, Ping Lu, Hua Tang, Yiming Liu, Shaohua Shen, Dongjiang Yang
Summary: In this study, a Z-scheme heterostructure is designed and fabricated by coating a red phosphorus (RP) nanolayer on high-index (116) faceted anatase TiO2 nanoparticles via chemical vapor deposition. The optimized TiO2@RP heterostructure exhibits significantly enhanced photocatalytic activity for pure water splitting, with a hydrogen evolution rate of 12.9 μmol/h under simulated solar light irradiation. This enhanced activity is attributed to the direct Z-scheme charge transfer pathway, which promotes efficient charge separation and migration.
ADVANCED FUNCTIONAL MATERIALS
(2023)
Article
Materials Science, Multidisciplinary
Zhongwei Fan, Jingfei Luan, Changqing Zhu, Fuqiang Liu
Summary: The novel Z-scheme heterojunction photocatalyst g-C3N4/Ag2S/SnS2 exhibited excellent photocatalytic performance under visible light irradiation, attributed to its Z-scheme heterojunction structure and 2D layered structure. The separation and transfer efficiency of the photogenic electron-hole pairs, as well as the redox potential, were significantly improved, leading to enhanced photocatalytic activity for degrading the target pollutant methyl orange.
MATERIALS RESEARCH BULLETIN
(2021)
Article
Energy & Fuels
Jun-ying Tang, Rui-tang Guo, Wei-guo Pan, Wei-guo Zhou
Summary: In this study, cobalt boride (Co2B) nanosheets with ordered short-range amorphous phases but disordered long-range structure were synthesized and coupled with graphic carbon nitride (CN) photocatalysts through an in-situ chemical reduction method. The optimized Co2B/CN nanohybrids showed a H2 evolution rate of 56.86 mu mol/h with the highest AQY of 22.8%, outperforming Pt decorated CN. The disordered structure of Co2B nanosheets provided abundant active sites, while the metallic nature of Co2B facilitated electron transfer and inhibited electron-hole recombination.
Review
Chemistry, Multidisciplinary
Rui-tang Guo, Xing Hu, Xin Chen, Zhe-xu Bi, Juan Wang, Wei-guo Pan
Summary: In recent years, 3DOM materials have gained significant attention in photocatalysis due to their unique physicochemical properties. The fundamentals and principles of 3DOM photocatalysts are briefly introduced in this review, along with the preparation methods, structure, properties, and their effects on photocatalytic performance. Moreover, the combination of 3DOM materials with various common materials is extensively employed to enhance photocatalytic performance, and the prospects and challenges for the development of 3DOM materials in photocatalysis are discussed.
Article
Chemistry, Multidisciplinary
Xin Chen, Wei-guo Pan, Long-fei Hong, Xing Hu, Juan Wang, Zhe-xu Bi, Rui-tang Guo
Summary: Energy shortage and global warming are urgent problems that need to be solved. Photoreduction of CO2 is considered a feasible solution. A ternary composite catalyst, g-C3N4/Ti3C2/MoSe2, was synthesized and its properties were studied. The CTM-5 sample showed the best photocatalytic activity with yields of CO and CH4 at 29.87 and 17.94 mu mol g(-1) h(-1), respectively. The favorable optical absorption performance and S-scheme charge transfer channel contributed to its superior performance.
Article
Energy & Fuels
Zhe-xu Bi, Rui-tang Guo, Xing Hu, Juan Wang, Xin Chen, Wei-guo Pan
Summary: The photocatalytic CO2 reduction technology can reduce the CO2 content in air and convert CO2 into high-value-added chemicals, making waste into treasure. In this study, Cu2O with a concave cubic structure was selectively etched to fabricate a Z-scheme heterojunction with uniformly loaded ZnIn2S4 nanosheets, which greatly enhanced its catalytic activity. The Z-scheme ZIS/Cu2O-0.3 photocatalyst achieved the maximum CO yield of 9.98 mu mol/g/h, which was 3.7 and 4.3 times higher than the bare Cu2O concave cube and ZnIn2S4, respectively. The excellent photocatalytic performance was attributed to the Z-scheme heterojunction, large specific surface area, and positive visible light response.
Article
Chemistry, Applied
Rui-tang Guo, Cheng Xia, Zhe-xu Bi, Zhen-rui Zhang, Wei-guo Pan
Summary: Using photocatalysis combined with the photothermal effect is an effective method for reducing carbon dioxide to hydrocarbons, improving the efficiency of traditional photocatalytic technology. This review focuses on the generation and promotion mechanism of the photothermal effect in the photocatalytic reduction of CO2. It also discusses the development of practical catalysts with photothermal effect and the prospects and challenges of applying the photothermal effect in CO2 reduction.
FUEL PROCESSING TECHNOLOGY
(2023)
Article
Chemistry, Multidisciplinary
Rui-tang Guo, Cheng Xia, Wei-guo Pan
Summary: This chemical experiment is designed for undergraduate students majoring in chemistry, energy, and environment to understand the reaction mechanism of photocatalytic reduction of CO2 through hands-on experiments and deepen their understanding of sustainable energy technologies. The experiment also aims to strengthen students' understanding of the basic theory of photochemistry and familiarize them with the operation process of laboratory instruments such as photocatalytic reactors and gas chromatographs. Through the experiment, students prepare novel graphene quantum dots/NiAl layered double hydroxide composites and investigate their photocatalytic activity. Mechanism analysis is then carried out through group discussions. Students' grades in the experiment are based on experimental operation, catalyst synthesis, photocatalytic activity, and mechanism analysis. This experiment encourages students to combine chemistry knowledge with experimental operation and continue research related to photocatalytic CO2 reduction.
JOURNAL OF CHEMICAL EDUCATION
(2023)
Review
Chemistry, Multidisciplinary
Chu-fan Li, Wei-guo Pan, Zhen-rui Zhang, Tong Wu, Rui-tang Guo
Summary: Photocatalysis driven by solar energy is an effective approach to address energy crises and environmental issues. Single-atom catalysts, with their highly dispersed active sites and maximum atomic utilization, have gained significant attention in heterogeneous photocatalysis. This paper comprehensively discusses the supports, preparation methods, and characterization techniques of single-atom photocatalysts, as well as their impacts on the crucial steps of photocatalysis and their applications in energy conversion and environmental protection. The opportunities and challenges of single-atom catalysts in heterogeneous photocatalysis are also explored.
Article
Environmental Sciences
Tong Wu, Rui-tang Guo, Yi-hao You, Wei-guo Pan
Summary: This article summarizes the application and performance of core-shell structured catalysts in NH3-SCR and emphasizes their advantages in selectivity, activity, and anti-poisoning ability. It is of great significance for the development of novel catalyst designs with improved denitrification performance.
Review
Energy & Fuels
Chang-Xing Hu, Lin-Gang Wei, Tong Wu, Chun-Mei Yue, Rui-Tang Guo
Summary: With the expansion of industry and urbanization, the ecological damage and environmental pollution caused by air pollutants have become a significant problem. Catalytic technology is an effective and environmentally friendly approach to deal with airborne pollutants. One-dimensional manganese oxide nanostructures show high activity and stability, making them widely used in air pollution reduction. This article reviews the fabrication process of manganese oxide nanowires, nanorods, and nanosheets, summarizes their applications in removing various pollutants, and proposes future research directions to bridge the gap between novel catalysts and practical needs.
Article
Chemistry, Physical
Chu-fan Li, Rui-tang Guo, Zhen-rui Zhang, Tong Wu, Yi-lei Liu, Zong-chang Zhou, Maitiyasheng Aisanjiang, Wei-guo Pan
Summary: Converting CO2 into chemicals and fuels by solar energy can alleviate global warming and solve the energy crisis. This study successfully prepared CoAl-LDO/MoO3_x composite and achieved efficient CO2 reduction under visible light. The use of nonstoichiometric MoO3_x and the construction of step-scheme heterojunctions improved the photo-response range and optimized the charge separation and migration mechanisms, resulting in significantly increased production rates of CO and CH4.
JOURNAL OF COLLOID AND INTERFACE SCIENCE
(2023)
Review
Chemistry, Multidisciplinary
Shi-peng Qi, Rui-tang Guo, Zhe-xu Bi, Zhen-rui Zhang, Chu-fan Li, Wei-guo Pan
Summary: This paper summarizes the latest research progress on COF-based materials in photocatalytic systems. The typical structures and preparation methods of COFs are analyzed and compared. The essential principles of photocatalytic reactions over COFs-based materials and the latest research developments in various applications are indicated. The outlook and challenges of COF-based materials in photocatalysis are also discussed.
Article
Green & Sustainable Science & Technology
Yu Liu, Rui-tang Guo, Wei-guo Pan
Summary: The power sector in China has been responsible for generating the most carbon emissions, reaching a peak share of 50% and causing severe environmental problems. This study assesses the carbon emission efficiency of the thermal power sector in China's provinces from 2010 to 2019 using the Undesirable-SBM model. The results reveal regional differences in carbon emission efficiency and emphasize the importance of inter-regional technical cooperation to improve efficiency.
ENVIRONMENT DEVELOPMENT AND SUSTAINABILITY
(2023)
Review
Engineering, Environmental
Tong Wu, Rui-tang Guo, Chu-fan Li, Wei-guo Pan
Summary: The extensive use of fossil fuels has led to massive emission of gaseous pollutants, posing a severe threat to the environment and human health. Catalytic oxidation is a promising technology for air cleaning, and CeO2-based catalysts with special morphologies have gained attention due to their environmental friendliness and excellent performance in reducing air pollutants. This review summarizes the preparation and application of CeO2-based catalysts with special morphologies, and discusses their advantages and mechanisms in eliminating air pollutants. The challenges associated with their preparation and application are also presented, providing reference for future design and synthesis of novel CeO2-based catalysts.
JOURNAL OF ENVIRONMENTAL CHEMICAL ENGINEERING
(2023)
Review
Chemistry, Multidisciplinary
Rui-Tang Guo, Zhen-Rui Zhang, Cheng Xia, Chu-Fan Li, Wei-Guo Pan
Summary: A photocatalytic system driven by solar light is a promising strategy for converting CO2 into valuable energy. Graphitic carbon nitride (g-C3N4/CN) has attracted attention for photocatalytic CO2 reduction. Loading cocatalysts on g-C3N4 can significantly improve the yield of target products and serve as a platform for exploring the mechanism of the CO2 reduction reaction.
Article
Chemistry, Inorganic & Nuclear
Cheng Xia, Rui-tang Guo, Zhe-xu Bi, Zhen-rui Zhang, Chu-fan Li, Wei-guo Pan
Summary: Ternary BiOCl/C/Cu2O catalysts with different mass ratios were synthesized using a simple hydrothermal method and exhibited better photocatalytic activity than the monomer. The 25% BiOCl/C/Cu2O catalyst showed optimal performance with CO and CH4 yields 2.9 and 8.7 times higher than pristine Cu2O, respectively. This improvement can be attributed to the Z-scheme heterostructure and carbon layer, facilitating the transfer and separation of photogenerated carriers. This study provides valuable references for the design and investigation of Z-scheme heterojunctions using carbon layer as an electron transfer medium.
DALTON TRANSACTIONS
(2023)
