Novel Photocatalysts for Environmental and Energy Applications

Dear Colleagues,

Due to exponential industrialization and rapid population growth, the global energy crisis and environmental pollution have become two of the greatest humanitarian challenges of the 21st century. The utilization of powerful, affordable, and renewable energy sources for energy production and pollutant elimination is considered as the best solution for addressing these critical problems. Therefore, much effort has been devoted toward converting solar energy into an applicable energy medium through various technologies, including photocatalysis, solar cells, and photoelectrochemical cells.

Furthermore, the ever-rising demand for fossil fuels, concomitant with the collateral increase in atmospheric CO₂ concentrations, have necessitated the urgent development of carbon management technologies. To this end, much research has been devoted towards the search for new technologies in the reduction of CO₂. Moreover, numerous topics within the fields of bioconversion and catalysis/photocatalysis (photothermal catalysis) have also been investigated.

The current environmental and energy issues require the urgent design, preparation, and validation of well-designed photocatalytic materials. Thanks to their ability to use light/sunlight, these catalysts are able to stimulate various reactions and/or produce energy. Mimicking the natural photosynthesis system, Z-scheme photocatalysts, as one example, were reported to present many merits, including improved light harvesting, spatially separated reductive and oxidative active sites, and well-preserved strong redox ability. The first generation of Z-scheme photocatalysts can be summarized in the liquid-phase Z-scheme, and have evolved up to the direct Z-scheme photocatalysts. Many other novel functional and composite catalysts are being developed and tested in various environmental and energy applications. While there are still challenges facing further scalability and the applicability of associated technologies for practical and large-scale implementation, there is clear evidence of progress in the development of new catalysts with improved performance and functionality, as well as understanding of the underlying catalytic and photocatalytic phenomena and their associated mechanisms. However, there are certainly many opportunities in the design of new catalysts with improved performance, tailored functionalities, and use in various existing and new applications.

This Special Issue “Novel Photocatalysts for Environmental and Energy Applications” covers the design, preparation, and characterization of novel photocatalytic materials, as well as their applications in environmental remediation and novel routes for energy production. This Special Issue welcomes contributions on (but not limited to):

• Photocatalysts for environmental application and energy conversion;
• Photoactive materials for energy conversion;
• Z-scheme photocatalysts;
• Hybrid materials for visible/solar light harvesting;
• Photocatalysts for water splitting;
• Functional materials for carbon dioxide capture and conversion;
• Photocatalytic self-cleaning surfaces;
• Photocatalysts with antimicrobial properties, including antibiotic resistance;
• Photocatalytic applications in medical and biomedical fields;
• Photocatalytic materials for water and wastewater purification and reuse;
• Photocatalysts for air treatment and industrial gas phase streams;
• Photocatalytic materials in food preservation;
• Photocatalytic application in non-conventional environments (i.e., space exploration).

Prof. Dionysios (Dion) Demetriou Dionysiou
Dr. Sami Rtimi
Prof. Ewa Kowalska
Prof. Changseok Han
Dr. Marcin Janczarek
Guest Editors

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