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Nanomaterials
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Nanomaterials for Photochemical/Photoelectrochemical Application
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Nanomaterials for Photochemical/Photoelectrochemical Application

A special issue of Nanomaterials (ISSN 2079-4991). This special issue belongs to the section "Energy and Catalysis".

Deadline for manuscript submissions: closed (30 March 2024) | Viewed by 13306

Special Issue Editors

Dr. Shaonan Gu

E-Mail Website
Guest Editor
School of Chemistry and Pharmaceutical Engineering, Qilu University of Technology, Jinan, China
Interests: photocatalysis and photocatalysts; electrode materials for batteries; DFT culcalations in energy conversion and storage materials
Dr. Panyong Kuang

E-Mail Website
Guest Editor
School of Materials and Chemistry, China University of Geosciences, Wuhan, China
Interests: photochemical and photoelectrochemical, electrocatalysis
Special Issues, Collections and Topics in MDPI journals
Dr. Shuaijun Wang

E-Mail Website
Guest Editor
School of Energy and Power Engineering, Jiangsu University, Zhenjiang, China
Interests: nanomaterials; photocatalytic hydrogen production

Special Issue Information

Dear Colleagues,

The stage of energy conversion and storage is unquestionably the most challenging step in the advancement of nanotechnology. Photo- or photoelectro-catalysis can turn unlimited solar energy into chemical energy that can be stored indefinitely. Due to its minimal energy intake and carbon impact, it is an ecologically friendly and promising technique. It has particular promise in water splitting, as well as carbon dioxide or nitrogen reduction. Furthermore, it has considerable potential in the breakdown of dyes and volatile organic compounds (VOCs), the disinfection of microorganisms, the selective synthesis of organic molecules, and so on.

At present, it is commonly accepted that the most significant bottleneck that photocatalysts face is the poor conversion efficiency of photon. This Special Issue, entitled "Nanomaterials for Photochemical/Photoelectrochemical Application", seeks to provide a comprehensive description of recent discoveries in creative nanomaterials that impact significant advancements in the photo- or photoelectro-chemical performance of catalysts. The focus of this Special Issue includes unique material designs, novel materials synthesis and processing, enhanced material characterization, and photo- or photoelectrochemical evaluation data for the current state of the art in photochemical/photoelectrochemical applications.

Dr. Shaonan Gu
Dr. Panyong Kuang
Dr. Shuaijun Wang
Guest Editors

Manuscript Submission Information

Manuscripts should be submitted online at www.mdpi.com by registering and logging in to this website. Once you are registered, click here to go to the submission form. Manuscripts can be submitted until the deadline. All submissions that pass pre-check are peer-reviewed. Accepted papers will be published continuously in the journal (as soon as accepted) and will be listed together on the special issue website. Research articles, review articles as well as short communications are invited. For planned papers, a title and short abstract (about 100 words) can be sent to the Editorial Office for announcement on this website.

Submitted manuscripts should not have been published previously, nor be under consideration for publication elsewhere (except conference proceedings papers). All manuscripts are thoroughly refereed through a single-blind peer-review process. A guide for authors and other relevant information for submission of manuscripts is available on the Instructions for Authors page. Nanomaterials is an international peer-reviewed open access semimonthly journal published by MDPI.

Please visit the Instructions for Authors page before submitting a manuscript. The Article Processing Charge (APC) for publication in this open access journal is 2900 CHF (Swiss Francs). Submitted papers should be well formatted and use good English. Authors may use MDPI's English editing service prior to publication or during author revisions.

Keywords

  • nanomaterials as photo/photoelectro-catalysts
  • heterojunctions
  • advanced electrodes for photoelectrochemical
  • homogeneous catalysis
  • light harvesting
  • photoelectric converting

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Published Papers (4 papers)

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Research

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14 pages, 4163 KiB  
Article
Novel Ag-Bridged Z-Scheme CdS/Ag/Bi2WO6 Heterojunction: Excellent Photocatalytic Performance and Insight into the Underlying Mechanism
by Fangzhi Wang, Lihua Jiang, Guizhai Zhang, Zixian Ye, Qiuyue He, Jing Li, Peng Li, Yan Chen, Xiaoyan Zhou and Ran Shang
Nanomaterials 2024, 14(3), 315; https://doi.org/10.3390/nano14030315 - 4 Feb 2024
Cited by 1 | Viewed by 1397
Abstract
The construction of semiconductor heterojunction photocatalysts that improve the separation and transfer of photoinduced charge carriers is an effective and widely employed strategy to boost photocatalytic performance. Herein, we have successfully constructed a CdS/Ag/Bi2WO6 Z-scheme heterojunction with an Ag-bridge as [...] Read more.
The construction of semiconductor heterojunction photocatalysts that improve the separation and transfer of photoinduced charge carriers is an effective and widely employed strategy to boost photocatalytic performance. Herein, we have successfully constructed a CdS/Ag/Bi2WO6 Z-scheme heterojunction with an Ag-bridge as an effective charge transfer channel by a facile process. The heterostructure consists of both CdS and Ag nanoparticles anchored on the surface of Bi2WO6 nanosheets. The photocatalytic efficiency of the CdS/Ag/Bi2WO6 system was studied by the decontamination of tetracycline (TC) and Rhodamine B (RhB) under visible light irradiation (λ ≥ 420). The results exhibited that CdS/Ag/Bi2WO6 shows markedly higher photocatalytic performance than that of CdS, Bi2WO6, Ag/Bi2WO6, and CdS/Bi2WO6. The trapping experiment results verified that the •O2− and h+ radicals are the key active species. The results of photoluminescence spectral analysis and photocurrent responses indicated that the CdS/Ag/Bi2WO6 heterojunctions exhibit exceptional efficiency in separating and transferring photoinduced electron−hole pairs. Based on a series of characterization results, the boosted photocatalytic activity of the CdS/Ag/Bi2WO6 system is mostly due to the successful formation of the Ag-bridged Z-scheme heterojunction; these can not only inhibit the recombination rate of photoinduced charge carriers but also possess a splendid redox capacity. The work provides a way for designing a Z-scheme photocatalytic system based on Ag-bridged for boosting photocatalytic performance. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Nanomaterials for Photochemical/Photoelectrochemical Application)
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13 pages, 2690 KiB  
Article
Redox-Enhanced Photoelectrochemical Activity in PHV/CdS Hybrid Film
by Mengyu Fu, Dongzi Xu, Xiaoxia Liu, Yuji Gao, Shenghong Yang, Huaifeng Li, Mingming Luan, Pingping Su and Nianxing Wang
Nanomaterials 2023, 13(9), 1515; https://doi.org/10.3390/nano13091515 - 28 Apr 2023
Cited by 3 | Viewed by 1746
Abstract
Semiconductive photocatalytic materials have received increasing attention recently due to their ability to transform solar energy into chemical fuels and photodegrade a wide range of pollutants. Among them, cadmium sulfide (CdS) nanoparticles have been extensively studied as semiconductive photocatalysts in previous studies on [...] Read more.
Semiconductive photocatalytic materials have received increasing attention recently due to their ability to transform solar energy into chemical fuels and photodegrade a wide range of pollutants. Among them, cadmium sulfide (CdS) nanoparticles have been extensively studied as semiconductive photocatalysts in previous studies on hydrogen generation and environmental purification due to their suitable bandgap and sensitive light response. However, the practical applications of CdS are limited by its low charge separation, which is caused by its weak ability to separate photo-generated electron-hole pairs. In order to enhance the photoelectrochemical activity of CdS, a polymer based on viologen (PHV) was utilized to create a series of PHV/CdS hybrid films so that the viologen unit could work as the electron acceptor to increase the charge separation. In this work, various electrochemical, spectroscopic, and microscopic methods were utilized to analyze the hybrid films, and the results indicated that introducing PHV can significantly improve the performance of CdS. The photoelectrochemical activities of the hybrid films were also evaluated at various ratios, and it was discovered that a PHV-to-CdS ratio of 2:1 was the ideal ratio for the hybrid films. In comparison with CdS nanoparticles, the PHV/CdS hybrid film has a relatively lower band gap, and it can inhibit the recombination of electrons and holes, enhancing its photoelectrochemical activities. All of these merits make the PHV/CdS hybrid film as a strong candidate for photocatalysis applications in the future. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Nanomaterials for Photochemical/Photoelectrochemical Application)
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Review

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31 pages, 11041 KiB  
Review
Engineered g-C3N5-Based Nanomaterials for Photocatalytic Energy Conversion and Environmental Remediation
by Juanjuan Liu, Shuaijun Wang, Chaocheng Zhao and Jingtang Zheng
Nanomaterials 2023, 13(3), 499; https://doi.org/10.3390/nano13030499 - 26 Jan 2023
Cited by 15 | Viewed by 5440
Abstract
Photocatalysis plays a vital role in sustainable energy conversion and environmental remediation because of its economic, eco-friendly, and effective characteristics. Nitrogen-rich graphitic carbon nitride (g-C3N5) has received worldwide interest owing to its facile accessibility, metal-free nature, and appealing electronic [...] Read more.
Photocatalysis plays a vital role in sustainable energy conversion and environmental remediation because of its economic, eco-friendly, and effective characteristics. Nitrogen-rich graphitic carbon nitride (g-C3N5) has received worldwide interest owing to its facile accessibility, metal-free nature, and appealing electronic band structure. This review summarizes the latest progress for g-C3N5-based photocatalysts in energy and environmental applications. It begins with the synthesis of pristine g-C3N5 materials with various topologies, followed by several engineering strategies for g-C3N5, such as elemental doping, defect engineering, and heterojunction creation. In addition, the applications in energy conversion (H2 evolution, CO2 reduction, and N2 fixation) and environmental remediation (NO purification and aqueous pollutant degradation) are discussed. Finally, a summary and some inspiring perspectives on the challenges and possibilities of g-C3N5-based materials are presented. It is believed that this review will promote the development of emerging g-C3N5-based photocatalysts for more efficiency in energy conversion and environmental remediation. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Nanomaterials for Photochemical/Photoelectrochemical Application)
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29 pages, 7806 KiB  
Review
Pt-Based Oxygen Reduction Reaction Catalysts in Proton Exchange Membrane Fuel Cells: Controllable Preparation and Structural Design of Catalytic Layer
by Hongda Li, Hao Zhao, Boran Tao, Guoxiao Xu, Shaonan Gu, Guofu Wang and Haixin Chang
Nanomaterials 2022, 12(23), 4173; https://doi.org/10.3390/nano12234173 - 24 Nov 2022
Cited by 28 | Viewed by 3938
Abstract
Proton exchange membrane fuel cells (PEMFCs) have attracted extensive attention because of their high efficiency, environmental friendliness, and lack of noise pollution. However, PEMFCs still face many difficulties in practical application, such as insufficient power density, high cost, and poor durability. The main [...] Read more.
Proton exchange membrane fuel cells (PEMFCs) have attracted extensive attention because of their high efficiency, environmental friendliness, and lack of noise pollution. However, PEMFCs still face many difficulties in practical application, such as insufficient power density, high cost, and poor durability. The main reason for these difficulties is the slow oxygen reduction reaction (ORR) on the cathode due to the insufficient stability and catalytic activity of the catalyst. Therefore, it is very important to develop advanced platinum (Pt)-based catalysts to realize low Pt loads and long-term operation of membrane electrode assembly (MEA) modules to improve the performance of PEMFC. At present, the research on PEMFC has mainly been focused on two areas: Pt-based catalysts and the structural design of catalytic layers. This review focused on the latest research progress of the controllable preparation of Pt-based ORR catalysts and structural design of catalytic layers in PEMFC. Firstly, the design principle of advanced Pt-based catalysts was introduced. Secondly, the controllable preparation of catalyst structure, morphology, composition and support, and their influence on catalytic activity of ORR and overall performance of PEMFC, were discussed. Thirdly, the effects of optimizing the structure of the catalytic layer (CL) on the performance of MEA were analyzed. Finally, the challenges and prospects of Pt-based catalysts and catalytic layer design were discussed. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Nanomaterials for Photochemical/Photoelectrochemical Application)
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