Recent progress in near-infrared light-harvesting nanosystems for photocatalytic applications

Abstract

High efficiency solar light use in photocatalysis is generally known as one of the most promising solutions to solve the growing serious environmental problem and energy crises. So far, the use of near infrared (NIR) portion as photocatalytic power has been challenging because of its lower energy than the bandgap of viable semiconductors. Various emerging NIR-harvesting nanosystems have recently been developed to photo-catalytically degrade organic contaminants and/or reduce CO2 into fuel species when exposed to NIR or sunshine. This paper provides an overview of recent advancements in the harvesting/utilization of NIR light by creating nanostructured materials and enhancing the photocatalytic process. The photothermal effect of NIR, in particular, raises the reaction temperature and hence accelerates the photocatalytic process. Diversified up-conversion materials absorb NIR to generate new light sources for triggering the photocatalytic reaction over visible-active catalysts. With matched energy levels, the unique NIR-responsive nanosystems can directly catalyze the oxidation or reduction half reactions after being hybridized with a co-catalyst to prevent overquick recombination of photogenerated electron-hole pairs. These advancements result in a slew of solar-driven catalytic applications for solar light, highlighting the tremendous promise of NIR-responsive nanosystems in photocatalysis.