Carbon-Based Nanomaterials via Heterojunction Serving as Photocatalyst
Noureen Syed1, Jianfeng Huang1, Yongqiang Feng1
1Shaanxi Key Laboratory of Green Preparation and Functionalization for Inorganic Materials, Key Laboratory of Auxiliary Chemistry and Technology for Chemical Industry, School of Materials Science and Engineering, Ministry of Education, Shaanxi University of Science and Technology, Xi'an, China.
Frontiers in Chemistry
|November 12, 2019
Summary
Carbon nanomaterials (CNMs) combined with semiconductors create efficient photocatalysts for clean hydrogen production and pollutant degradation. This review highlights CNM-based heterojunctions, including graphene and carbon quantum dots (CQDs), for advanced water splitting applications.
Area of Science:
- Materials Science
- Chemical Engineering
- Environmental Science
Background:
- Photocatalytic water splitting offers a sustainable route for hydrogen fuel production, addressing energy demands and environmental concerns.
- Carbon nanomaterials (CNMs) are increasingly integrated with semiconductors to form heterojunctions, enhancing photocatalyst performance.
- These CNM-based heterojunctions show improved charge separation, light absorption, and stability for photocatalytic applications.
Purpose of the Study:
- To provide a comprehensive overview of CNM-based photocatalysts for hydrogen production from water splitting.
- To review the application of these photocatalysts in degrading organic pollutants in wastewater.
- To highlight recent advancements in CNM-based heterojunctions and their photocatalytic mechanisms.
Main Methods:
- Review of literature on carbon nanomaterials (CNMs) such as graphene, fullerene, carbon quantum dots (CQDs), and carbon nanotubes (CNTs).
- Analysis of heterojunction strategies, including Z-scheme systems, for enhanced photocatalysis.
- Discussion of the structure-property relationships in CNM-semiconductor composites.
Main Results:
- CNM-semiconductor heterojunctions significantly boost photocatalytic efficiency for hydrogen generation and pollutant degradation.
- Various CNMs, including graphene, CQDs, and CNTs, demonstrate unique advantages when composited with semiconductors.
- CNM-based Z-scheme heterojunctions represent a promising design for optimizing charge transfer and photocatalytic activity.
Conclusions:
- CNM-based photocatalysts are highly effective for sustainable hydrogen production and wastewater treatment.
- Further research into novel CNM architectures and heterojunction designs will drive future advancements.
- Optimizing CNM integration is crucial for developing next-generation, high-performance photocatalytic systems.
