Franco P, Sacco O, Vaiano V, De Marco I. Supercritical Carbon Dioxide-Based Processes in Photocatalytic Applications.
Molecules 2021;
26:molecules26092640. [PMID:
33946498 PMCID:
PMC8124787 DOI:
10.3390/molecules26092640]
[Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/02/2021] [Revised: 04/25/2021] [Accepted: 04/28/2021] [Indexed: 02/07/2023] Open
Abstract
Conventional methods generally used to synthesize heterogeneous photocatalysts have some drawbacks, mainly the difficult control/preservation of catalysts’ morphology, size or structure, which strongly affect the photocatalytic activity. Supercritical carbon dioxide (scCO2)-assisted techniques have recently been shown to be a promising approach to overcome these limitations, which are still a challenge. In addition, compared to traditional methods, these innovative techniques permit the synthesis of high-performance photocatalysts by reducing the use of toxic and polluting solvents and, consequently, the environmental impact of long-term catalyst preparation. Specifically, the versatility of scCO2 allows to prepare catalysts with different structures (e.g., nanoparticles or metal-loaded supports) by several supercritical processes for the photocatalytic degradation of various compounds. This is the first updated review on the use of scCO2-assisted techniques for photocatalytic applications. We hope this review provides useful information on different approaches and future perspectives.
Collapse