Search for Articles:
Title / Keyword
Author / Affiliation / Email
Journal
Article Type
 
 
Advanced Search
 
Section
Special Issue
Volume
Issue
Number
Page
 
8.3
4.5
Journals
Catalysts
Special Issues
Advanced Photocatalytic Technologies for Sustainable Environmental Treatment
share announcement

Advanced Photocatalytic Technologies for Sustainable Environmental Treatment

A special issue of Catalysts (ISSN 2073-4344). This special issue belongs to the section "Photocatalysis".

Deadline for manuscript submissions: 28 February 2027 | Viewed by 2083

Editor

Prof. Dr. Luminiţa Isac

E-Mail Website
Guest Editor
Product Design, Mechatronics and Environmental Department, Transilvania University of Brasov, Brasov, Romania
Interests: advanced wastewater treatment technologies (photocatalysis); nanostructured metal sulfide and metal oxide semiconductors; adsorptive materials for converting solar energy into thermal energy (synthesis, characterization, optical property evaluation)
Special Issues, Collections and Topics in MDPI journals

Special Issue Information

Dear Colleagues,

As climate change, along with water and air pollution, poses serious threats to environmental sustainability, the design and development of advanced photocatalytic technologies for environmental treatment have become a crucial area of ​​research. This Special Issue aims to compile cutting-edge research on advanced photocatalytic materials and processes that can significantly enhance the efficiency and sustainability of environmental treatment systems.

We invite researchers to submit original research articles, reviews, and perspectives that explore the synthesis, characterization, and application of novel photocatalytic materials. Of particular interest are studies that delve into the mechanisms of photocatalytic reactions, the enhancement of photocatalytic activity through material design and modification, and the integration of photocatalytic processes with other advanced environmental treatment technologies.

Topics of interest include, but are not limited to, the following:

  • Development of novel photocatalytic materials, such as nanostructured metal sulfides, metal oxides, waste-based materials, and Metal-Organic Framework (MOF)- and Graphitic Carbon Nitride (GCN)-based materials.
  • Innovative synthesis methods and advanced characterization techniques for photocatalytic materials.
  • Mechanistic studies on photocatalytic environmental treatment reactions, such as CO2 reduction, H2 generation, and organic pollutant degradation in air and wastewater.
  • Strategies to improve the stability and reusability of photocatalysts.
  • Solar-powered photocatalytic systems for energy-efficient environmental treatment, including CO2 reduction, H2 generation, and degradation of emerging organic contaminants and micropollutants.
  • Life cycle assessment and sustainability analysis of photocatalytic treatment processes.

By bringing together the latest advancements in this field, this Special Issue seeks to provide valuable insights and inspire further innovation in the application of photocatalytic technologies for sustainable environmental treatment.

Prof. Dr. Luminiţa Isac
Guest Editor

Manuscript Submission Information

Manuscripts should be submitted online at www.mdpi.com by registering and logging in to this website. Once you are registered, click here to go to the submission form. Manuscripts can be submitted until the deadline. All submissions that pass pre-check are peer-reviewed. Accepted papers will be published continuously in the journal (as soon as accepted) and will be listed together on the special issue website. Research articles, review articles as well as short communications are invited. For planned papers, a title and short abstract (about 250 words) can be sent to the Editorial Office for assessment.

Submitted manuscripts should not have been published previously, nor be under consideration for publication elsewhere (except conference proceedings papers). All manuscripts are thoroughly refereed through a single-anonymized peer-review process. A guide for authors and other relevant information for submission of manuscripts is available on the Instructions for Authors page. Catalysts is an international peer-reviewed open access monthly journal published by MDPI.

Please visit the Instructions for Authors page before submitting a manuscript. The Article Processing Charge (APC) for publication in this open access journal is 2200 CHF (Swiss Francs). Submitted papers should be well formatted and use good English. Authors may use MDPI's English editing service prior to publication or during author revisions.

Keywords

  • (photo)catalytic materials
  • photocatalysis
  • air purification
  • wastewater treatment
  • CO2 reduction
  • H2 generation
  • advanced oxidation processes
  • solar-driven environment treatment reactors
  • environmental catalysis
  • sustainable environment treatment
  • emerging contaminants
  • green chemistry
  • (photo)catalytic degradation
  • environmental sustainability

Benefits of Publishing in a Special Issue

  • Ease of navigation: Grouping papers by topic helps scholars navigate broad scope journals more efficiently.
  • Greater discoverability: Special Issues support the reach and impact of scientific research. Articles in Special Issues are more discoverable and cited more frequently.
  • Expansion of research network: Special Issues facilitate connections among authors, fostering scientific collaborations.
  • External promotion: Articles in Special Issues are often promoted through the journal's social media, increasing their visibility.
  • Reprint: MDPI Books provides the opportunity to republish successful Special Issues in book format, both online and in print.

Further information on MDPI's Special Issue policies can be found here.

Published Papers (2 papers)

Download All Papers
Order results
Result details
Show export options expand_more Show export options expand_less
Select all
Export citation of selected articles as:

Research

Jump to: Review

17 pages, 2258 KB  
Article
Enhanced Performance of Photocatalytic Water Splitting on B-Doped g-C3N4
by Liyang Peng, Qinjun Chen, Pengcheng Su, Jinhui Zhang and Shibiao Wu
Catalysts 2026, 16(5), 396; https://doi.org/10.3390/catal16050396 - 29 Apr 2026
Viewed by 585
Abstract
Graphitic carbon nitride (CN) is a promising photocatalytic material, but its practical application is limited by small specific surface area, narrow light absorption range, and high photogenerated carrier recombination rate. To address these issues, this study synthesized boron-doped carbon nitride (BCN) and sulfuric [...] Read more.
Graphitic carbon nitride (CN) is a promising photocatalytic material, but its practical application is limited by small specific surface area, narrow light absorption range, and high photogenerated carrier recombination rate. To address these issues, this study synthesized boron-doped carbon nitride (BCN) and sulfuric acid-exfoliated boron-doped carbon nitride (BCND). X-ray diffraction (XRD) and X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy (XPS) results confirmed that boron was successfully doped into the CN skeleton via B-N bonds. Scanning electron microscopy (SEM) and N2 adsorption–desorption (BET) characterizations showed that acid exfoliation significantly increased the specific surface area of BCND to 68.80 m2·g−1, much higher than that of CN (9.54 m2·g−1) and BCN (15.98 m2·g−1). UV–visible diffuse reflectance spectroscopy (UV-Vis DRS) analysis revealed that BCND had the narrowest bandgap (2.59 eV) among the three materials, which enhanced its visible-light absorption efficiency. Photoelectrochemical tests demonstrated that BCND exhibited the smallest charge transfer resistance and the highest transient photocurrent density (eight times that of CN), indicating efficient separation of photogenerated electron–hole pairs. Photocatalytic water splitting experiments showed that BCND achieved the highest Hydrogen production rate of 792.34 μmol·g−1·h−1, which was about 4 times that of CN (158.41 μmol·g−1·h−1) and 1.36 times that of 2.5% BCN (584.30 μmol·g−1·h−1). Free-radical trapping experiments indicated that hydroxyl radicals (·OH) played a crucial promotional role in Hydrogen production, while superoxide anions (·O2−) exerted an inhibitory effect. The enhanced performance of BCND was attributed to the synergistic effects of boron doping (narrowing bandgap) and acid exfoliation (increasing specific surface area). A possible photocatalytic Hydrogen production mechanism was proposed based on the experimental results. This study provides a feasible strategy for the structural modification and performance optimization of g-C3N4-based photocatalysts for water splitting. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Advanced Photocatalytic Technologies for Sustainable Environmental Treatment)
►▼ Show Figures

Graphical abstract

Review

Jump to: Research

23 pages, 3738 KB  
Review
Research Progress on Novel Semiconductor Photocatalysts for Degrading VOCs
by Xiu-Juan Feng, Xin Shi, Hao-Yu Zhang, Chu-Hao Huang and Qing-Bo Yu
Catalysts 2026, 16(4), 356; https://doi.org/10.3390/catal16040356 - 15 Apr 2026
Cited by 1 | Viewed by 1083
Abstract
Volatile organic compounds (VOCs) pose significant health risks. Photocatalytic oxidation offers a promising route for VOC purification under ambient conditions. Based on a review of over 80 studies, this article critically evaluates research progress on four semiconductor photocatalyst systems (TiO2-based, g-C [...] Read more.
Volatile organic compounds (VOCs) pose significant health risks. Photocatalytic oxidation offers a promising route for VOC purification under ambient conditions. Based on a review of over 80 studies, this article critically evaluates research progress on four semiconductor photocatalyst systems (TiO2-based, g-C3N4-based, bismuth-based oxides, and MOFs) for VOC degradation. Unlike traditional descriptive reviews, this work establishes a quality-based filtering framework to distinguish studies reporting standardized photochemical parameters from those that do not. The analysis reveals a fundamental problem: the vast majority of reviewed studies lack essential parameters (incident photon flux, apparent quantum yield, or rigorous dark adsorption equilibrium), rendering cross-study comparisons invalid. Most literature relies on non-standardized metrics such as conversion percentages or rate constants per catalyst mass. While some high-quality studies report AQY, these remain a small fraction of the literature. Within individual studies under identical conditions, modification strategies enhance activity relative to controls, but relative efficiency (ζr) values are meaningful only within the same study and cannot be compared across setups. This review thus serves a dual purpose: to summarize modification strategies and to critically expose the lack of standardization. Future research must adopt unified reporting standards (photon flux, AQY, benchmarks under identical conditions) to transform the field into a reproducible, cumulative science. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Advanced Photocatalytic Technologies for Sustainable Environmental Treatment)
►▼ Show Figures

Figure 1

Show export options expand_more Show export options expand_less
Select all
Export citation of selected articles as:
 
Displaying articles 1-2
Back to TopTop