Abstract
Photocatalysis appears to be an appealing approach for environmental remediation including pollutants degradation in water, air, and/or soil, due to the utilization of renewable and sustainable source of energy, i.e., solar energy. However, their broad applications remain lagging due to the challenges in pollutant degradation efficiency, large-scale catalyst production, and stability. In recent decades, massive efforts have been devoted to advance the photocatalysis technology for improved environmental remediation. In this review, the latest progress in this aspect is overviewed, particularly, the strategies for improved light sensitivity, charge separation, and hybrid approaches. We also emphasize the low efficiency and poor stability issues with the current photocatalytic systems. Finally, we provide future suggestions to further enhance the photocatalyst performance and lower its large-scale production cost. This review aims to provide valuable insights into the fundamental science and technical engineering of photocatalysis in environmental remediation.
This review highlights the recent advancement in state-of-the-art strategies for improvement of semiconductor photocatalysts for environmental remediation. [Display omitted]
•This review highlights principles and reaction mechanisms of environmental photocatalysis.•Further, it highlights the effect of pollutants on living organisms and their removal from environment.•Various modification strategies for solar light absorption and charge separation are discussed.•Efficiency and stability issues of the photocatalysts and their possible solutions are discussed.