About this Research Topic
Z-scheme systems, mimicking the photosynthesis process in plants, permit to preserve the strong photocatalytic activities of the photocatalyst, using a combination of two materials.
These systems have recently demonstrated extraordinary ability in the exploiting solar energy to produce hydrogen and/or oxygen, reduce carbon dioxide to generate hydrocarbon fuels, degrade organic pollutants, facilitate bacteria disinfection, and address selective synthesis of organic compounds.
Although heterogeneous photocatalysis represents an effective alternative to traditional technologies capable of exploiting solar energy to alleviate environmental pollution and energy supply problems, some drawbacks are still open and must overcome.
An ideal photocatalyst should meet some fundamental requirements: 1) it should be capable of absorbing solar and/or visible radiation and present a reduced recombination of electron-hole pair; 2) it should be characterized by high stability and durability; 3) it has to present good adsorptive properties to easily interact with the contaminant and increase the degradation kinetic; 4) it has to be recovered without time consuming our expensive procedures. Since traditional photocatalysts do not satisfy all these aspects, in recent years, many efforts have been made to design innovative and more efficient systems.
Among these, doped materials, heterojunctions and other hybrid photocatalysts have been proposed. All these materials ensure enhanced exploitation of the visible light and an effective spatial separation of the photo-generated charges but at the expense of the photocatalytic properties.
In this context, Z-scheme systems represent a real revolution in preserving the material’s photo activity by exploiting the synergistic effect of the combination of two materials.
The present Research Topic aims to report the recent advances in the synthesis and modification of Z-scheme photocatalysis and their application in solar energy conversion.
We welcome Original Research, Review, Mini Review and Perspective articles on themes including, but not limited to Z-scheme photocatalysts application in solar energy conversion for:
• Hydrogen production
• Hydrocarbon fuels generation
• Carbon dioxide reduction
• Organic pollutants degradation
• Bacteria disinfection
Keywords: Z scheme construction, environmental remediation, hydrogen production, CO<sub>2</sub> reduction, water splitting
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