Tailoring Multiscale Interfaces in Heterojunction Photocatalysis for NO_x Removal

Area of Science:

• Materials Science
• Environmental Science
• Chemical Engineering

Background:

• Nitrogen oxides (NOx) pose significant environmental and health risks.
• Photocatalysis offers a promising route for NOx elimination, but faces challenges in catalyst stability, product selectivity, and mechanistic understanding.
• Effective charge carrier separation is crucial for optimizing photocatalytic performance and stability.

Purpose of the Study:

• To establish a unified framework for classifying, synthesizing, and applying photocatalytic heterojunctions for NOx removal.
• To systematically link multiscale interfacial engineering strategies to precise control of reaction pathways and selectivity.
• To address the critical gap in reviews by providing a comprehensive overview of heterojunctions specifically for NOx abatement.

Main Methods:

• Review and synthesis of existing literature on photocatalytic heterojunctions for NOx removal.
• Analysis of interfacial engineering strategies, including defect engineering, band alignment, and molecular adsorption.
• Evaluation of charge carrier dynamics, photocorrosion mitigation, and byproduct control mechanisms.

Main Results:

• Heterojunction engineering effectively enhances charge carrier separation, regulating NO conversion pathways.
• Interfacial engineering strategies can mitigate photocorrosion and improve catalyst stability.
• The review provides a unified framework connecting design strategies to overcoming real-world challenges like byproduct suppression and humidity resistance.

Conclusions:

• Advanced interfacial engineering of heterojunctions is key to improving NOx removal efficiency and selectivity.
• Optimizing charge carrier dynamics and controlling reactive oxygen species generation are vital for effective NOx abatement.
• This work provides insights for developing more efficient and sustainable environmental cleanup technologies.