Transfer dynamics of photo-generated carriers in catalysis

Semiconductor based photo-assisted catalytic reaction, leveraging solar energy for chemical fuel production and pollutant treatment, relies heavily on carrier separation and migration. Despite extensive efforts to enhance carrier separation, understanding carrier transfer dynamics remains limited, hindering large-scale application. This review systematically examines carrier transfer dynamics characterization, highlighting semiconductors' intrinsic properties, carrier relaxation methods, and spatiotemporal visualization. We also discuss plasmonic metal catalysts, a novel photocatalyst class with unique carrier dynamics. Furthermore, we evaluate advanced techniques and metrics for assessing carrier transfer, offering insights for developing high-performance catalysts. Finally, we provide a summary and outlook on future developments and standards in carrier transfer dynamics characterization for improved photo-related catalytic applications.