Photocatalytic Activity in Visible Light Applications

Photocatalysis under visible light harnesses semiconductor materials to convert solar energy into chemical energy, driving reactions such as pollutant degradation, CO₂ reduction and selective organic transformations. Key to this process is the absorption of photons with energy matching or exceeding the semiconductor’s bandgap, generating electron–hole pairs. These charge carriers migrate to the surface, where they interact with adsorbed species to form reactive oxygen species or hydrogen intermediates. Practical challenges include rapid electron–hole recombination, limited visible‐light absorption in wide‐bandgap materials and catalyst stability under operating conditions. Strategies to address these issues include bandgap engineering through non‐metal or metal doping, construction of heterojunctions to promote charge separation, surface modification to enhance adsorption and nanostructuring to increase active surface area. Advances in material design have enabled selective CO₂ hydrogenation to methane and high‐efficiency degradation of organic contaminants, illustrating the global significance of visible‐light photocatalysis for renewable energy production and environmental remediation.

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Photocatalytic Activity in Visible Light Applications publication trend

The graph below shows the total number of articles in photocatalytic activity in visible light applications across all publications each year (not limited to Nature Index journals).

Technical terms

Bandgap: The minimum energy difference between a semiconductor’s valence band and conduction band, determining the wavelengths of light the material can absorb.

Heterojunction: An interface between two different semiconductors that promotes spatial separation of photogenerated electrons and holes, reducing recombination.

Electron–hole recombination: The process by which photogenerated electrons and holes recombine without driving a chemical reaction, reducing photocatalytic efficiency.

Reactive oxygen species (ROS): Highly reactive molecules such as •OH and O₂•– formed at the catalyst surface that oxidise organic pollutants or intermediates.

Photocatalytic reduction: A light‐driven reaction in which electrons generated in the conduction band reduce chemical species, for example converting CO₂ to CH₄ or CO.

References

1. Non‐Metal Sulfur Doping of Indium Hydroxide Nanocube for Selectively Photocatalytic Reduction of CO2 to CH4: A “One Stone Three Birds” Strategy. Advanced Science (2024).
2. Fabrication of 2D/2D InVO4/BiVO4 Heterojunction with Synergistic Effects for Enhanced Photocatalytic Degradation and Photoelectrochemical Applications. International Journal of Energy Research (2024).
3. Facile Assembly of InVO4/TiO2 Heterojunction for Enhanced Photo-Oxidation of Benzyl Alcohol. Nanomaterials (2022).