Facile synthesis of highly active fluorinated ultrathin graphitic carbon nitride for photocatalytic H2 evolution using a novel NaF etching strategy

Although graphitic carbon nitride (GCN) has been intensively studied in photocatalytic research, its performance is still hindered by its inherently low photo-absorption and inefficient charge separation. Herein, we report a simple NaF solution treating method to produce fluorinated and alkaline metal intercalated ultrathin GCN with abundant in-plane pores and exposed active edges, and therefore an enhanced number of actives sites. Compared to bulk GCN, NaF treated GCN has a larger specific surface area of 81.2 m² g⁻¹ and a relatively narrow band gap of 2.60 eV, which enables a 6-fold higher photocatalytic rate of hydrogen evolution.

Although graphitic carbon nitride (GCN) has been intensively studied in photocatalytic research, its performance is still hindered by its inherently low photo-absorption and inefficient charge separation.

Controlling electronic properties of MoS2/graphene oxide heterojunctions for enhancing photocatalytic performance: the role of oxygen

The manipulation of the constituents of novel hetero-photocatalysts is an effective method for improving photocatalytic efficiency, but a theoretical understanding of the relationship between interlayer interaction and photocatalytic activity is still lacking.

Simple fabrication of Fe3O4/C/g-C3N4 two-dimensional composite by hydrothermal carbonization approach with enhanced photocatalytic performance under visible light

The construction of a multifunctional two dimensional (2D) composite photocatalyst is of great significance as it exhibits enhanced catalytic performance and improved practical usability in contrast to a single component catalyst.

Facile synthesis of MoO2/CaSO4 composites as highly efficient adsorbents for congo red and rhodamine B

A novel rod-shaped MoO₂/CaSO₄ composite was prepared by using hexa-ammonium molybdate and flue gas desulfurization gypsum via a simple mixed-solvothermal route. In this composite, CaSO₄ matrices are decorated with MoO₂ nanoparticles, and non-structural mesopores are formed via particle packing. Moreover, it displays an excellent adsorption capability towards anionic congo red (CR) and cationic rhodamine B (RhB). The adsorption quantities per unit mass and removal efficiencies of the two dyes are significantly influenced by adsorbent dose, solution pH, and temperature. The adsorption isotherm data can be best fitted by the Langmuir model, and the calculated maximum adsorption quantities at 303.5 K are 853.54 mg g⁻¹ for CR and 86.38 mg g⁻¹ for RhB, respectively, which are superior to other common adsorbents. The corresponding kinetic data can be well matched with the pseudo-second-order model. Additionally, the CR adsorption is an exothermic process, while the RhB adsorption is an endothermic process. Both of them are multi-step chemisorption processes influenced by surface adsorption and intra-particle diffusion. This MoO₂/CaSO₄ composite can be applied as an alternative adsorbent for removing organic dyestuffs from printing and dyeing wastewater.

A new kind of rod-shaped MoO₂/CaSO₄ composite, in which MoO₂ nanoparticles are supported on the surface of CaSO₄ matrices, was prepared via a mixed-solvothermal method for efficient removal towards congo red and rhodamine B.

Unique physicochemical properties of two-dimensional light absorbers facilitating photocatalysis

The emergence of two-dimensional (2D) materials with a large lateral size and extremely small thickness has significantly changed the development of many research areas by producing a variety of unusual physicochemical properties.

Evolution of 2D tin oxides on the surface of molten tin

The exfoliation of two dimensional (2D) oxides, established on the surface of specific liquid metals, has recently been introduced.

Hydrogenated MoS2 QD-TiO2 heterojunction mediated efficient solar hydrogen production

Herein, we report the development of a hydrogenated MoS₂ QD-TiO₂ (HMT) heterojunction as an efficient photocatalytic system via a one-pot hydrothermal reaction followed by hydrogenation. This synthetic strategy facilitates the formation of MoS₂ QDs with an enhanced band gap and a proper heterojunction between them and TiO₂, which accelerates charge transfer process. Hydrogenation leads to oxygen vacancies in TiO₂, enhancing the visible light absorption capacity through narrowing its band gap, and sulfur vacancies in MoS₂, which enhance the active sites for hydrogen adsorption. Due to the band gap reduction of hydrogenated TiO₂ and the band gap enhancement of the MoS₂ QDs, the energy states are rearranged to create a reverse movement of electrons and holes facilitated the charge transfer process which enhance life-time of photo-generated charges. The photocatalyst showed stable, efficient and exceptionally high noble metal free sunlight-induced hydrogen production with a maximum rate of 3.1 mmol g^-1 h^-1. The developed synthetic strategy also provides flexibility towards the shape of the MoS₂, e.g. QDs/single or few layers, on TiO₂ and offers the opportunity to design novel visible light active photocatalysts for different applications.

In situ construction of a heterojunction over the surface of a sandwich structure semiconductor for highly efficient photocatalytic H2 evolution under visible light irradiation

Developing a heterostructure on the surface of a "sandwich" structure semiconductor is essential for full utilization of its heterojunction function and hence for designing efficient solar energy conversion systems. Here, we show that 2D-2D MoS₂/MnSb₂S₄ heterostructure composites are designed for the first time and successfully synthesized by a simple in situ calcination pathway. Under visible light irradiation, the ca. 3.3 wt% MoS₂/MnSb₂S₄ samples exhibited the highest activity for H₂ evolution, which was 7.7 times higher than that of the pristine MnSb₂S₄ monolayer. The outstanding photocatalytic performance was attributed to the MoS₂ nanosheets intimately growing on the surface [SbS]⁺ layers of monolayer MnSb₂S₄ nanosheets with the [SbS]⁺-[MnS₂]^2--[SbS]⁺ sandwich substructure to form the 2D-2D MoS₂/MnSb₂S₄ heterojunction structure. More importantly, we prove that this specific heterojunction structure can lead to more weakening of the constraint of the valence electrons in the composited photocatalysts, which can promote the transfer of photogenerated electrons from MnSb₂S₄ to MoS₂. The present study provides a new design strategy for the construction of a heterostructure to improve the photocatalytic H₂ production activity highly efficiently.

Promotion of the excited electron transfer over Ni- and Co -sulfide co-doped g-C3N4 photocatalyst (g-C3N4/NixCo1-xS2) for hydrogen Production under visible light irradiation

A Ni- and Co- sulfide co-doped g-C₃N₄ photocatalyst (g-C₃N₄/Ni_xCo_1-xS₂) was prepared by hydrothermal method and this photocatalyst, namely, g-C₃N₄/Ni_xCo_1-xS₂ shown excellent photocatalytic properties due to the special structure of Ni-Co-S with boundary different exposure to active site of transition metal-metal (Ni-Co) active planes. With the introduction of Co atoms, the H₂ production amount reached the maximum about 400.81 μmol under continuous visible light irradiation for 4 hours based on the efficiently charge separation and greatly improved electron transfer resulted from the presence of sufficient active exposure at the boundary. The serial studies shown that the existence of Ni-Co-S structure over g-C₃N₄ active surface is the key factor of activity affections by means of several characterizations such as SEM, XRD, XPS diffuse reflectance etc. and the results of which were in good agreement with each other. A possible reaction mechanism over eosin Y-sensitized g-C₃N₄/Ni_xCo_1-xS₂ photocatalyst under visible light irradiation was proposed.

Voids padding induced further enhancement in photocatalytic performance of porous graphene-like carbon nitride

Design of 2-Dimensional nanostructured photocatalyst is an effective way to improve the photocatalytic activity of its bulk counterpart. However, the remaining (or newborn) drawbacks, such as enlarged band gap and the surface recombination of photogenerated charge carries, extremely limited the practical application of nanosheeted photocatalysts in solar energy conversion. In this study, we demonstrated that the voids padding with NH₄Cl can eliminate part of quantum size effect to reduce the band gap of nanosheeted carbon nitride. In addition, the padded NH₄Cl can create conjugate center and interface electric field in nanosheeted carbon nitride, and therefore to inhibit the surface recombination of photogenerated charge carries. This work not only provides a facile strategy to eliminate the drawbacks of nanosheeted carbon nitride, but also paves a new way to further improve the photocatalytic activity of other nano-sheeted materials.

Counteracting Blueshift Optical Absorption and Maximizing Photon Harvest in Carbon Nitride Nanosheet Photocatalyst

Blueshift of optical absorption and corresponding widening of the bandgap is a fundamental problem with 2D carbon nitride nanosheets (CNNS). An additional problem is low quantum yields (<9%) due to higher loss of absorbed photons. These problems impose a significant restriction to photocatalytic performance of CNNS. Therefore, the synthesis of narrow bandgap CNNS with high quantum efficiency is of pressing research importance. This contribution reports melem-derived narrow bandgap CNNS with a record-low bandgap of 2.45 eV. The narrowing in bandgap comes with improved optical absorption and use of visible-light photons together with excellent charge transport dynamics. This is demonstrated by a record high hydrogen evolution rate of 863 µmol h^-1 with apparent quantum efficiency of 16% at 420 nm.

Synthesis of Ni9S8/MoS2 heterocatalyst for Enhanced Hydrogen Evolution Reaction

We demonstrate a heterostructure Ni₉S₈/MoS₂ hybrid with tight interface synthesized via an improved hydrothermal method. As compared to pure MoS₂, the increased surface area and the shorten charge transport pathway in the layered hybrid significantly promote the photocatalytic efficiency for hydrogen evolution reaction (HER). In particularly, the optimized Ni₉S₈/MoS₂ hybrid with 20 wt % Ni₉S₈ exhibits the highest photocatalytic activity with HER value of 406 μmolg^-1h^-1, which is enhanced by 70% compared to that of pure MoS₂ nanosheets (285.0 μmolg^-1h^-1). Moreover, the value is 4 times more than the commercial MoS₂ (92.0 μmolg^-1h^-1), indicating the high potential of the hybrid in the catalytic fields.

Heterojunction Photocatalysts

Semiconductor-based photocatalysis attracts wide attention because of its ability to directly utilize solar energy for production of solar fuels, such as hydrogen and hydrocarbon fuels and for degradation of various pollutants. However, the efficiency of photocatalytic reactions remains low due to the fast electron-hole recombination and low light utilization. Therefore, enormous efforts have been undertaken to solve these problems. Particularly, properly engineered heterojunction photocatalysts are shown to be able to possess higher photocatalytic activity because of spatial separation of photogenerated electron-hole pairs. Here, the basic principles of various heterojunction photocatalysts are systematically discussed. Recent efforts toward the development of heterojunction photocatalysts for various photocatalytic applications are also presented and appraised. Finally, a brief summary and perspectives on the challenges and future directions in the area of heterojunction photocatalysts are also provided.

Hierarchical Porous O-Doped g-C3 N4 with Enhanced Photocatalytic CO2 Reduction Activity

Artificial photosynthesis of hydrocarbon fuels by utilizing solar energy and CO₂ is considered as a potential route for solving ever-increasing energy crisis and greenhouse effect. Herein, hierarchical porous O-doped graphitic carbon nitride (g-C₃ N₄ ) nanotubes (OCN-Tube) are prepared via successive thermal oxidation exfoliation and curling-condensation of bulk g-C₃ N₄ . The as-prepared OCN-Tube exhibits hierarchically porous structures, which consist of interconnected multiwalled nanotubes with uniform diameters of 20-30 nm. The hierarchical OCN-Tube shows excellent photocatalytic CO₂ reduction performance under visible light, with methanol evolution rate of 0.88 µmol g^-1 h^-1 , which is five times higher than bulk g-C₃ N₄ (0.17 µmol g^-1 h^-1 ). The enhanced photocatalytic activity of OCN-Tube is ascribed to the hierarchical nanotube structure and O-doping effect. The hierarchical nanotube structure endows OCN-Tube with higher specific surface area, greater light utilization efficiency, and improved molecular diffusion kinetics, due to the more exposed active edges and multiple light reflection/scattering channels. The O-doping optimizes the band structure of g-C₃ N₄ , resulting in narrower bandgap, greater CO₂ affinity, and uptake capacity as well as higher separation efficiency of photogenerated charge carriers. This work provides a novel strategy to design hierarchical g-C₃ N₄ nanostructures, which can be used as promising photocatalyst for solar energy conversion.

Superior adsorption and photoinduced carries transfer behaviors of dandelion-shaped Bi2S3@MoS2: experiments and theory

The enhanced light-harvesting capacity and effective separation of photogenerated carriers in fantastic hierarchical heterostructures enjoy striking attention for potential applications in the field of solar cells and photocatalysis. A three-dimensional (3D) dandelion-shaped hierarchical Bi₂S₃ microsphere compactly decorated with wing-shaped few layered MoS₂ lamella (D-BM) was fabricated via a facile hydrothermal self-assembly process. Especially, polyethylene glycol (PEG) has been proven as the vital template to form D-BM microsphere. Importantly, the as-prepared D-BM microsphere presents pH-dependent superior adsorption behavior and remarkable visible light photocatalytic activity for degradation of organic dyestuffs (Rhodamine B/RhB and Methylene blue/MB), far exceeding those for the pure Bi₂S₃ and MoS₂. It is understandable that D-BM with high surface area possesses more active sites and promotes light utilization due to the unique porous structure with outspread wings. Besides, based on the experiments and theoretical calculations, the staggered type II band alignment of D-BM permits the charge injection from Bi₂S₃ to MoS₂, subsequently accelerates the separation and restrains the recombination of carriers, leading to excellent photocatalytic activity, as well as the photoconductance and photoresponse performance (with I_light/I_dark ratio 567).

A facile solvothermal approach for the synthesis of novel W-doped TiO2 nanoparticles/reduced graphene oxide composites with enhanced photodegradation performance under visible light irradiation

W-Doped TiO₂ nanoparticles/reduced graphene oxide composites have been synthesized for the first time. The mechanism of their high photocatalytic activity for MB has been identified and discussed.

Boron-doped graphitic carbon nitride nanosheets for enhanced visible light photocatalytic water splitting

A new type of boron-doped graphitic carbon nitride (B-g-C₃N₄) nanosheets was prepared by a benign one-pot thermal polycondensation process.

Metallic 1T-TiS2 nanodots anchored on a 2D graphitic C3N4 nanosheet nanostructure with high electron transfer capability for enhanced photocatalytic performance

The introduction of metallic TiS₂ nanodots in 2D-C₃N₄ nanosheets improved the photocatalytic activity due to the suppression of e–h recombination.

Enhanced visible-light photocatalytic H2-generation activity of carbon/g-C3N4 nanocomposites prepared by two-step thermal treatment

Brown carbon/g-C₃N₄ nanocomposites synthesized by two-step calcination exhibited a wide visible light response range and improved photocatalytic H₂-generation performance.

Eco-friendly one-pot synthesis of well-adorned mesoporous g-C3N4 with efficiently enhanced visible light photocatalytic activity

We report a facile and eco-friendly one-pot synthesis of well-adorned mesoporous g-C₃N₄ material through a bubble templating strategy and involving controlling the surface area from 17 to 195 m² g⁻¹ by simply adjusting the mass ratio of melamine/NH₄Cl.

Role of MoS2and WS2monolayers on photocatalytic hydrogen production and the pollutant degradation of monoclinic BiVO4: a first-principles study

MS₂/m-BiVO₄(010) heterostructures showed a high driving force for H₂evolution and pollutant degradation under simulated visible light irradiation.

Efficient Visible-Light Photocatalytic Properties in Low-Temperature Bi-Nb-O System Photocatalysts

Low-temperature Bi-Nb-O system photocatalysts were prepared by a citrate method using homemade water-soluble niobium precursors. The structures, morphologies, and optical properties of Bi-Nb-O system photocatalysts with different compositions were investigated deeply. All the Bi-Nb-O powders exhibit appreciably much higher photocatalytic efficiency of photo-degradation of methyl violet (MV), especially for Bi-Nb-O photocatalysts sintered at 750 °C (BNO750), only 1.5 h to completely decompose MV, and the obtained first-order rate constant (k) is 1.94/h. A larger degradation rate of Bi-Nb-O photocatalysts sintered at 550 °C (BNO550) can be attributed to the synergistic effect between β-BiNbO4 and Bi5Nb3O15. Bi5Nb3O15 with small particle size on β-BiNbO4 surface can effectively short the diffuse length of electron. BNO750 exhibits the best photocatalytic properties under visible-light irradiation, which can be attributed to its better crystallinity and the synergistic effect between β-BiNbO4 and α-BiNbO4. The small amount of α-BiNbO4 loading on surface of β-BiNbO4 can effectively improve the electron and hole segregation and migration. Holes are the main active species of Bi-Nb-O system photocatalysts in aqueous solution under visible-light irradiation.

Graphene in Photocatalysis: A Review

In recent years, heterogeneous photocatalysis has received much research interest because of its powerful potential applications in tackling many important energy and environmental challenges at a global level in an economically sustainable manner. Due to their unique optical, electrical, and physicochemical properties, various 2D graphene nanosheets-supported semiconductor composite photocatalysts have been widely constructed and applied in different photocatalytic fields. In this review, fundamental mechanisms of heterogeneous photocatalysis, including thermodynamic and kinetics requirements, are first systematically summarized. Then, the photocatalysis-related properties of graphene and its derivatives, and design rules and synthesis methods of graphene-based composites are highlighted. Importantly, different design strategies, including doping and sensitization of semiconductors by graphene, improving electrical conductivity of graphene, increasing eloectrocatalytic active sites on graphene, strengthening interface coupling between semiconductors and graphene, fabricating micro/nano architectures, constructing multi-junction nanocomposites, enhancing photostability of semiconductors, and utilizing the synergistic effect of various modification strategies, are thoroughly summarized. The important applications including photocatalytic pollutant degradation, H₂ production, and CO₂ reduction are also addressed. Through reviewing the significant advances on this topic, it may provide new opportunities for designing highly efficient 2D graphene-based photocatalysts for various applications in photocatalysis and other fields, such as solar cells, thermal catalysis, separation, and purification.

Enhancing Performance of CdS Quantum Dot-Sensitized Solar Cells by Two-Dimensional g-C3N4 Modified TiO2 Nanorods

In present work, two-dimensional g-C₃N₄ was used to modify TiO₂ nanorod array photoanodes for CdS quantum dot-sensitized solar cells (QDSSCs), and the improved cell performances were reported. Single crystal TiO₂ nanorods are prepared by hydrothermal method on transparent conductive glass and spin-coated with g-C₃N₄. CdS quantum dots were deposited on the g-C₃N₄ modified TiO₂ photoanodes via successive ionic layer adsorption and reaction method. Compared with pure TiO₂ nanorod array photoanodes, the g-C₃N₄ modified photoanodes showed an obvious improvement in cell performances, and a champion efficiency of 2.31 % with open circuit voltage of 0.66 V, short circuit current density of 7.13 mA/cm², and fill factor (FF) of 0.49 was achieved, giving 23 % enhancement in cell efficiency. The improved performances were due to the matching conduction bands and valence bands of g-C₃N₄ and TiO₂, which greatly enhanced the separation and transfer of the photogenerated electrons and holes and effectively suppressed interfacial recombination. Present work provides a new direction for improving performance of QDSSCs.

Comparison Study of the Photoelectrochemical Activity of Carbon Nitride with Different Photoelectrode Configurations

Polymeric carbon nitride (CN) has recently emerged as a novel metal-free semiconductor due to its unique electronic structure, wide availability, and promising applications in photoelectrochemical solar energy conversion. However, few works regarding CN photoelectrode optimization such as by minimization of unwanted grain boundary effects have been reported, which would greatly influence the photoelectrochemcial conversion efficiency. Herein, three general ways of preparing CN photoelectrode are presented and compared, including drop-casting of CN particles, or further blendeding with Nafion or PEDOT-PSS as the binder. In addition, the influences of CN particle sizes (0.5, 1.1, and 3.2 μm) and the film thickness (i.e., the loading amount) to the overall photoelectrochemcial activity were also evaluated in detail. As a result, when PEDOT-PSS acted as binder, CN particles with size of 0.5 μm and an optimal loading amount (2.4 mg/cm(2)) were adopted; the as-prepared CN photoelectrode had much superior photoelectrochemical activity than all other counterparts. Therefore, this study would pave the way for preparing CN photoelectrode of superior quality so as to promote CN materials to be better applied in solar fuel and sensing applications.

Fabrication of 3 D Mesoporous Black TiO2 /MoS2 /TiO2 Nanosheets for Visible-Light-Driven Photocatalysis

A novel 3 D mesoporous black TiO2 (MBT)/MoS2 /MBT sandwich-like nanosheet was successfully fabricated using a facile mechanochemical process combined with an in situ solid-state chemical reduction approach, followed by mild calcination (350 °C) under an argon atmosphere. The MBT/MoS2 /MBT exhibits a 3 D sandwich-like nanosheet structure and heterojunctions are formed at the interfaces between MoS2 and black TiO2 . The significantly narrowed band gap of MBT/MoS2 /MBT is attributed to the introduction of MoS2 and the formed Ti(3+) species in the frameworks. The visible-light photocatalytic degradation rate of methyl orange and the hydrogen production rate are as high as 89.86 % and 0.56 mmol h(-1)  g(-1) , respectively. The introduction of MoS2 and Ti(3+) in the frameworks favors the visible-light absorption and the separation of photogenerated charges, and the 3 D sandwich-like heterojunction structure facilitates the transfer of photogenerated charges.

Facile synthesis of porous Bi2WO6 nanosheets with high photocatalytic performance

Compared with the well-known three-dimensional Bi2WO6 nanosheet-assembled nanostructures, the free-standing two-dimensional porous Bi2WO6 nanosheets have seldom been reported. The possible reason is that Bi2WO6 nanosheets with a high surface-to-volume ratio usually tend to self-assemble or aggregate to form microspheres to reduce their surface energy. To prevent their aggregation, in this study, a new and facile self-assembled route, which includes the in situ ion-exchange reaction of Na2WO4 solution with the Bi(NO3)3 solid powder and the following high-temperature calcination, has been successfully developed to prepare the free-standing porous Bi2WO6 nanosheets. The ion-exchange reaction between the Bi(NO3)3 solid and Na2WO4 solution can in situ produce amorphous Bi2WO6 nanosheets, while the high-temperature calcination (500 °C) causes the formation of homogeneously porous structures in individual nanosheets during their phase transformation from amorphous to crystalline. The resultant porous nanosheets are composed of one-layer Bi2WO6 nanoparticles with a size of 30-50 nm, and there is a strong coupling interface among these nanoparticles. Photocatalytic experimental results suggest that the resultant porous Pt/Bi2WO6 nanosheets show a high photocatalytic performance for the decomposition of phenol solution. Considering their facile preparation, the present synthetic route may provide new insights for the design and fabrication of other nanostructured materials with various potential applications.

Hierarchical Layered WS2 /Graphene-Modified CdS Nanorods for Efficient Photocatalytic Hydrogen Evolution

Graphene-based ternary composite photocatalysts with genuine heterostructure constituents have attracted extensive attention in photocatalytic hydrogen evolution. Here we report a new graphene-based ternary composite consisting of CdS nanorods grown on hierarchical layered WS2 /graphene hybrid (WG) as a high-performance photocatalyst for hydrogen evolution under visible light irradiation. The optimal content of layered WG as a co-catalyst in the ternary CdS/WS2 /graphene composites was found to be 4.2 wt %, giving a visible light photocatalytic H2 -production rate of 1842 μmol h(-1)  g(-1) with an apparent quantum efficiency of 21.2 % at 420 nm. This high photocatalytic H2 -production activity is due to the deposition of CdS nanorods on layered WS2 /graphene sheets, which can efficiently suppress charge recombination, improve interfacial charge transfer, and provide reduction active sites. The proposed mechanism for the enhanced photocatalytic activity of CdS nanorods modified with hierarchical layered WG was further confirmed by transient photocurrent response. This work shows that a noble-metal-free hierarchical layered WS2 /graphene nanosheets hybrid can be used as an effective co-catalyst for photocatalytic water splitting.

Photoactive WS2 nanosheets bearing plasmonic nanoparticles for visible light-driven reduction of nitrophenol

Semiconducting WS2 nanohybrids with different sizes of silver nanoparticles are designed via amine-assisted in situ reduction and growth of Ag(+) ions. These nanohybrids exhibit characteristic photocatalytic activity for the reduction of 4-nitrophenol as a function of their structure.

Strongly Coupled Ternary Hybrid Aerogels of N-deficient Porous Graphitic-C3N4 Nanosheets/N-Doped Graphene/NiFe-Layered Double Hydroxide for Solar-Driven Photoelectrochemical Water Oxidation

Developing photoanodes with efficient sunlight harvesting, excellent charge separation and transfer, and fast surface reaction kinetics remains a key challenge in photoelectrochemical water splitting devices. Here we report a new strongly coupled ternary hybrid aerogel that is designed and constructed by in situ assembly of N-deficient porous carbon nitride nanosheets and NiFe-layered double hydroxide into a 3D N-doped graphene framework architecture using a facile hydrothermal method. Such a 3D hierarchical structure combines several advantageous features, including effective light-trapping, multidimensional electron transport pathways, short charge transport time and distance, strong coupling effect, and improved surface reaction kinetics. Benefiting from the desirable nanostructure, the ternary hybrid aerogels exhibited remarkable photoelectrochemical performance for water oxidation. Results included a record-high photocurrent density that reached 162.3 μA cm(-2) at 1.4 V versus the reversible hydrogen electrode with a maximum incident photon-to-current efficiency of 2.5% at 350 nm under AM 1.5G irradiation, and remarkable photostability. The work represents a significant step toward the development of novel 3D aerogel-based photoanodes for solar water splitting.

Recent advances in 2D materials for photocatalysis

Two-dimensional (2D) materials have attracted increasing attention for photocatalytic applications because of their unique thickness dependent physical and chemical properties. This review gives a brief overview of the recent developments concerning the chemical synthesis and structural design of 2D materials at the nanoscale and their applications in photocatalytic areas. In particular, recent progress on the emerging strategies for tailoring 2D material-based photocatalysts to improve their photo-activity including elemental doping, heterostructure design and functional architecture assembly is discussed.