Journal of Energy Chemistry ›› 2023, Vol. 86 ›› Issue (11): 84-117.DOI: 10.1016/j.jechem.2023.06.038

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Photoelectrocatalytic principles for meaningfully studying photocatalyst properties and photocatalysis processes: From fundamental theory to environmental applications

Jiafang Liua,b, Shengbo Zhanga,b,*, Weikang Wangc,*, Haimin Zhanga,b,*   

  1. aKey Laboratory of Materials Physics, Centre for Environmental and Energy Nanomaterials, Anhui Key Laboratory of Nanomaterials and Nanotechnology, CAS Center for Excellence in Nanoscience, Institute of Solid State Physics, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Hefei 230031, Anhui, China;
    bUniversity of Science and Technology of China, Hefei 230026, Anhui, China;
    cSchool of Materials Science and Engineering, Jiangsu University, Zhenjiang 212013, Jiangsu, China
  • Received:2023-05-12 Revised:2023-06-27 Accepted:2023-06-27 Online:2023-11-15 Published:2023-11-07
  • Contact: *E-mail addresses: shbzhang@issp.ac.cn (S. Zhang), wangwk@ujs.edu.cn (W. Wang), zhanghm@issp.ac.cn (H. Zhang).
  • About author:Jiafang Liu received his master degree in physical chemistry at Huaibei Normal University in 2022. Currently, he is a Ph.D. degree candidate under the supervision of Prof. Haimin Zhang in the University of Science and Technology of China. His current research interests are mainly focused on the photocatalytic CO2 conversion, hydrogen production and electrocatalytic C-N coupling.
    Shengbo Zhang got his PhD from University of Science and Technology of China in 2020. He is currently a postdoctoral fellow cooperating with Professor Haimin Zhang in the Institute of Solid State Physics, Chinese Academy of Sciences. His current research interests include the catalytic fixation and conversion of small molecules (e.g., N2, O2, CO2) and electrocatalytic organic synthesis.
    Weikang Wang received his master degree from the Wuhan University of Technology in Professor Jiaguo Yu's group in 2017, and PhD degree from the University of Science and Technology of China in 2020, guided by Professor Huijun Zhao in Institute of Solid State Physics, Chinese Academy of Sciences. At present, he works at School of materials science and engineering in Jiangsu University. His current research interests focus on the synthesis of 2D nanomaterials and relevant mechanism study in photocatalytic NH3 synthesis, H2O2 production and organic conversion.
    Haimin Zhang received his PhD from the Dalian University of Technology in 2008. He is currently a professor in the Institute of Solid State Physics, Chinese Academy of Sciences. His current research is focused on electrocatalysis and photoelectrocatalysis for energy conversion.

Abstract: Photocatalysis is critically important for environmental remediation and renewable energy technologies. The ability to objectively characterize photocatalyst properties and photocatalysis processes is paramount for meaningful performance evaluation and fundamental studies to guide the design and development of high-performance photocatalysts and photocatalysis systems. Photocatalysis is essentially an electron transfer process, and photoelectrocatalysis (PEC) principles can be used to directly quantify transferred electrons to determine the intrinsic properties of photocatalysts and photocatalysis processes in isolation, without interference from counter reactions due to physically separated oxidation and reduction half-reactions. In this review, we discuss emphatically the PEC-based principles for characterizing intrinsic properties of photocatalysts and important processes of photocatalysis, with a particular focus on their environmental applications in the degradation of pollutants, disinfection, and detection of chemical oxygen demand (COD). An outlook towards the potential applications of PEC technique is given.

Key words: Photoelectrocatalysis, Photocatalytic intrinsic properties, Photocatalytic characterization, Environmental remediation, Photoelectrocatalysis-based application