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Nanostructured Materials for Solar and Visible Light Driven Photocatalysis, 2nd...
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Nanostructured Materials for Solar and Visible Light Driven Photocatalysis, 2nd Edition

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

Deadline for manuscript submissions: 30 September 2026 | Viewed by 1487

Special Issue Editors

Dr. Chiara Lo Porto

E-Mail Website
Guest Editor
Department of Life Sciences, Health, and Health Professions, Link Campus University, Via del Casale di San Pio V 44, 00165 Rome, Italy
Interests: photocatalysis; nanoparticles; visible light active photocatalysts; nanocomposite coatings; plasma processes
Dr. Roberto Comparelli

E-Mail Website
Guest Editor
CNR-IPCF c/o Department, Chemistry University of Bari Aldo Moro, via Orabona, 4, 70125 Bari, Italy
Interests: photocatalysis; visible light active photocatalysts; inorganic nanocrystals; hybrid nanocomposites; plasmonics nanoparticles; nanocrystal functionalization; solar energy conversion
Special Issues, Collections and Topics in MDPI journals

Special Issue Information

Dear Colleagues,

Nanostructured materials with photocatalytic properties are being constantly studied and synthesized for their wide applicability, which can include abatement of plastics and organic pollutants in air and water, water splitting with production of H2 and O2, photoreforming, CO2 conversion, cultural heritage preservation, smart textiles, antimicrobial surfaces and materials, photochemical synthesis of chemicals and many others.

In particular, great attention is being directed toward the synthesis of visible- and solar light-driven photocatalytic nanomaterials. Exploiting the entire solar light spectrum enables the use of a green renewable source of energy to activate processes from which the environment can further benefit. In order to achieve these results, the scientific community is focusing on the synthesis and optimization of new and higher-performance nanostructured and nanocomposite materials.

We invite contributors to submit original research papers or reviews that account for recent advances in the field of nanostructured materials for solar- and visible light-driven photocatalysis.

Dr. Chiara Lo Porto
Dr. Roberto Comparelli
Guest Editors

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-blind 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

  • visible and solar light
  • nanostructured photocatalysts
  • water treatment
  • gas phase pollutants
  • antimicrobial materials
  • water splitting
  • H2 production
  • CO2 conversion
  • photoreforming
  • smart textiles
  • cultural heritage preservation
  • photochemical synthesis of chemicals

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Related Special Issue

Published Papers (3 papers)

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Research

26 pages, 5494 KB  
Article
Freezing Non-Equilibrium Structural Defects in Integrated Cu4MgO5/ZnO Nanocomposites for Extended Visible-Light-Driven Solar Fuel Production
by Abdelatif Aouadi, Nader Shehata, Okba Zemali, Hocine Sadam Nesrat, Salah Eddine Laouini, Hafidha Terea, Djamila Hamada Saoud and Tomasz Trzepieciński
Catalysts 2026, 16(6), 488; https://doi.org/10.3390/catal16060488 - 22 May 2026
Abstract
The rational configuration of electronic band structures through deep-seated structural disorder remains a formidable challenge in sustainable solar-to-fuel conversion. Herein, we report a transformative kinetic strategy to “freeze” an extraordinary density of non-equilibrium structural defects within an integrated Cu4MgO5/ZnO [...] Read more.
The rational configuration of electronic band structures through deep-seated structural disorder remains a formidable challenge in sustainable solar-to-fuel conversion. Herein, we report a transformative kinetic strategy to “freeze” an extraordinary density of non-equilibrium structural defects within an integrated Cu4MgO5/ZnO nanocomposite. Synthesized via a chitosan-assisted coordination-combustion route followed by rapid thermal quenching, the material preserves a record crystallographic dislocation density of 1.09 × 1015 m−2 and significant lattice microstrain (1.04 × 10−3). This engineered structural disorder induces a profound reconfiguration of the electronic landscape, generating a continuous manifold of sub-bandgap “tail states” that narrow the optical bandgap to a remarkable 1.34 eV. Consequently, the defect-rich architecture facilitates unprecedented dual-channel photocatalytic performance under simulated solar irradiation in an aqueous solution containing 5 vol% triethanolamine (TEOA) as a sacrificial electron donor; the catalyst achieved a hydrogen evolution rate of 17,700.0 µmol g−1 h−1 and a methane production rate of 172.50 µmol g−1 h−1—representing a 36.3-fold and 43.1-fold enhancement over commercial ZnO, respectively. With an apparent quantum yield of 8.42% at 420 nm and robust photostability—maintaining 95.3% of its activity over five consecutive cycles (25 h total)—this noble-metal-free ternary system bypasses the limitations of traditional heterojunctions. Our findings establish a new benchmark for defect-engineered catalysts, providing a scalable blueprint for high-efficiency carbon neutrality and solar fuel production. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Nanostructured Materials for Solar and Visible Light Driven Photocatalysis, 2nd Edition)
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20 pages, 4907 KB  
Article
Enhanced Antibacterial and Photocatalytic Performance of Synergistic Graphene/Cellulose/Chitosan–Ag Nanocomposites
by Mohammad Saood Manzar, Sally Mostafa Khadrawy, Mohd Imran, Karim Tanji, Mukarram Zubair, Hissah A. Alqahtani, Bhagyashree R. Patil, Essam Kotb, Mohammed Abdul Aleem Qureshi, Hassan A. Rudayni and Ahmed A. Allam
Catalysts 2026, 16(5), 427; https://doi.org/10.3390/catal16050427 - 5 May 2026
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Abstract
In the current research, graphene and cellulose nanocrystals (CNCs) loaded with silver nanoparticles were synthesized using the hydrothermal method with different mass ratios (G:CNC:CS). The composite GC2 (1:0.2:0.2) (MIC = 6.1 µg·mL−1) and GC3 (1:0.3:0.3) (MIC = 1.8 µg·mL−1) [...] Read more.
In the current research, graphene and cellulose nanocrystals (CNCs) loaded with silver nanoparticles were synthesized using the hydrothermal method with different mass ratios (G:CNC:CS). The composite GC2 (1:0.2:0.2) (MIC = 6.1 µg·mL−1) and GC3 (1:0.3:0.3) (MIC = 1.8 µg·mL−1) exhibited the maximum antibacterial activity against Staphylococcus aureus subsp. aureus ATCC BAA-977 and Pseudomonas aeruginosa, respectively. The antibacterial performance underscores the complex interplay between the compositional attributes of GC2 and GC3, and the unique susceptibility profiles of different bacterial strains. The antibacterial mechanism was proposed to understand the antibacterial activity process. Ag+ cations and reactive oxygen species (ROS) formed with the composite materials are responsible for disrupting interactions with the bacterial cell wall via transmembrane proteins. Eriochrome Black T exhibited the highest photocatalytic degradation efficiency (~90% under UV), followed by Congo Red, which also showed substantial removal across all irradiation conditions. In contrast, Bisphenol A and tetracycline displayed comparatively lower degradation efficiencies, particularly under UV light. Overall, the degradation trend for all pollutants followed the order: UV > solar > visible irradiation. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Nanostructured Materials for Solar and Visible Light Driven Photocatalysis, 2nd Edition)
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28 pages, 6692 KB  
Article
Design and Optimization of ZnO–ZnCr2O4 Heterojunction for Enhanced Solar-Light Photocatalytic Degradation of Rhodamine B
by Amira Saidani, Mouna Saidani, Reguia Boudraa, Ikram Boucekine, Karim Fendi, Abderrahim Benabbas, Atmane Djermoune, Abdelhafid Souici, Hamdi Bendif, Mohamed A. M. Ali, Gharieb S. El-Sayyad and Lotfi Mouni
Catalysts 2026, 16(5), 406; https://doi.org/10.3390/catal16050406 - 1 May 2026
Viewed by 797
Abstract
ZnO–ZnCr2O4 heterojunction nanocomposites were synthesized via co-precipitation with nominal spinel loadings of 10, 20, and 30 wt.% (denoted ZnCr-10, ZnCr-20, ZnCr-30) to evaluate structure–property–performance relationships in photocatalytic dye degradation. Rietveld refinement of XRD data revealed actual crystalline phase fractions of [...] Read more.
ZnO–ZnCr2O4 heterojunction nanocomposites were synthesized via co-precipitation with nominal spinel loadings of 10, 20, and 30 wt.% (denoted ZnCr-10, ZnCr-20, ZnCr-30) to evaluate structure–property–performance relationships in photocatalytic dye degradation. Rietveld refinement of XRD data revealed actual crystalline phase fractions of 12.1%, 32.4%, and 39.9% ZnCr2O4, respectively, with systematic morphological evolution from dispersed nanoparticles (ZnCr-10) to densely agglomerated structures (ZnCr-30) observed by SEM. Optical analysis demonstrated that ZnCr-10 (apparent band gap 3.09 eV) retains ZnO-dominated absorption with moderate interfacial electronic coupling, while ZnCr-20 shows enhanced visible response (2.89 eV) through interface-mediated transitions. ZnCr-30 exhibits strong sub-bandgap absorption (1.63 eV) originating from defect states rather than intrinsic band narrowing. Photoluminescence studies under UV excitation revealed optimal radiative recombination suppression in ZnCr-10, consistent with efficient interfacial charge separation, whereas excessive loading (ZnCr-30) introduced defect-mediated recombination centers. Photocatalytic degradation of Rhodamine B (5 mg/L, 0.5 g/L catalyst, solar irradiation) followed the order: ZnCr-10 (k = 0.0307 min−1) > ZnO (0.0203 min−1) > ZnCr-20 (0.0230 min−1) > ZnCr2O4 (0.0166 min−1) > ZnCr-30 (0.0113 min−1). The optimal ZnCr-10 performance is attributed to balanced interfacial contact between phases enabling charge separation without excessive agglomeration or defect accumulation. Operational parameters (pH 7, 50 mg/100 mL, 100 µL H2O2) were optimized, achieving 98% degradation in 60 min. This study demonstrates that photocatalytic enhancement in ZnO–spinel heterojunctions is governed by interfacial architecture and defect management rather than optical absorption alone, providing design principles for efficient solar-driven environmental remediation. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Nanostructured Materials for Solar and Visible Light Driven Photocatalysis, 2nd Edition)
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