Ion-exchangeable semiconductor materials for visible light-induced photocatalysis

Publication date: March 2014 Source:Journal of Photochemistry and Photobiology C: Photochemistry Reviews, Volume 18 Author(s): Xu Zong , Lianzhou Wang The use of semiconductor materials for solar fuel production and environmental remediation has attracted increasing attention in the past decades due to their potential to address important energy and environmental problems. Ion-exchangeable semiconductor materials represent one family of promising materials due to their unique crystal structures and structure-related photocatalytic activity. However, most of the ion-exchangeable semiconductor materials can only absorb UV light due to their wide band-gap. To efficiently utilize solar energy, it is indispensable to develop visible light-responsive semiconductor materials which can efficiently absorb solar electromagnetic radiation reaching the Earth's surface. In this review article, we summarize the recent advances on ion-exchangeable semiconductor materials as visible light-responsive photocatalysts with particular focus on the band-gap engineering strategies and their photocatalytic applications. Graphical abstract
Source: Journal of Photochemistry and Photobiology C: Photochemistry Reviews - Category: Chemistry Source Type: research