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Inorganics
Special Issues
Metal-Based Photocatalysts: From Synthesis to Applications
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Metal-Based Photocatalysts: From Synthesis to Applications

A special issue of Inorganics (ISSN 2304-6740). This special issue belongs to the section "Inorganic Materials".

Deadline for manuscript submissions: 31 July 2026 | Viewed by 1935

Special Issue Editors

Dr. Qiansu Ma

E-Mail Website
Guest Editor
College of Chemistry and Biotechnology, University of Science and Technology Beijing, Beijing 100083, China
Interests: photocatalysis
Dr. Xiang Sun

E-Mail Website
Guest Editor
Institute of Industrial Nanomaterials, Kumamoto University, 2 Chome-39-1 Kurokami, Chuo Ward, Kumamoto 860-8555, Japan
Interests: photocatalyst; nano materials; hydrogen evolution; pollution purification
Dr. Jie Ming

E-Mail
Guest Editor
School of Environmental Science and Engineering, Shandong University, Qingdao 266237, China
Interests: water decontamination; photocatalysis; biological process

Special Issue Information

Dear Colleagues,

The development of metal-based photocatalysts for photocatalytic energy conversion has drawn significant attention in recent years, particularly in the context of H2 evolution. Achieving efficient photocatalytic H2 production requires overcoming critical challenges, including light absorption and charge carrier separation. Metal-based photocatalysts, including noble and transition metal-based composites, offer promising solutions to address these issues. Noble metals, such as Ag and Au, can act as effective reduction cocatalysts in heterojunction photocatalytic systems, significantly enhancing photocatalytic H2 evolution efficiency. These metals also serve as electron pools, facilitating the migration of photogenerated charge carriers. On the other hand, transition metals possess distinct advantages due to their wide availability, cost-effectiveness, and environmental abundance. Transition metal-based composites show promising potential in the development of novel photocatalysts for water splitting applications. Their unique electronic structures and chemical properties enable the design of highly efficient systems for H2 production. Therefore, manuscripts concerning metal-based photocatalyst for H2 generation are highly welcome.

This Special Issue aims to provide a comprehensive platform to showcase the latest advancements in metal-based photocatalysts for H2 evolution. We invite researchers to contribute high-quality manuscripts that explore diverse aspects of this field. Topics of interest include, but are not limited to, the following:

  • Design and synthesis of metal-based photocatalysts;
  • Advanced characterization techniques for studying metal-based composite photocatalysts;
  • Mechanistic insights into hydrogen evolution using metal-based composites;
  • Development of heterojunction photocatalysts incorporating noble or transition metals;
  • Exploration of metal-mediated charge carrier dynamics and their role in enhancing photocatalytic performance.

We welcome original research articles, reviews, and perspective papers that advance the understanding and application of metal-based photocatalysts for hydrogen evolution. Your contributions will help shape the future of sustainable energy research and contribute to the global transition toward renewable energy sources.

We look forward to your valuable submissions.

Dr. Qiansu Ma
Dr. Xiang Sun
Dr. Jie Ming
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. Inorganics 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

  • metal-based photocatalysts
  • hydrogen evolution reaction (HER)
  • charge carrier separation
  • photocatalyst design

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

Published Papers (2 papers)

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Research

20 pages, 3544 KB  
Article
Study on the Construction and Performance Measurement of Tm2FeSbO7/BiYO3 Heterojunction Photocatalyst and the Photocatalytic Degradation of Sulfamethoxazole in Pharmaceutical Wastewater Under Visible Light Irradiation
by Jingfei Luan, Yu Cao, Jian Wang, Liang Hao, Anan Liu and Hengchang Zeng
Inorganics 2026, 14(3), 82; https://doi.org/10.3390/inorganics14030082 - 13 Mar 2026
Viewed by 594
Abstract
A novel catalyst, Tm2FeSbO7, was synthesized by employing the solid-phase high-temperature sintering method, and, for the first time, it was utilized to create a Z-type heterojunction with BiYO3. A direct Z-scheme Tm2FeSbO7/BiYO3 [...] Read more.
A novel catalyst, Tm2FeSbO7, was synthesized by employing the solid-phase high-temperature sintering method, and, for the first time, it was utilized to create a Z-type heterojunction with BiYO3. A direct Z-scheme Tm2FeSbO7/BiYO3 heterojunction photocatalyst (TBHP) was successfully produced by employing the ball-milling technique. X-ray diffraction analysis results indicated that Tm2FeSbO7 crystallized in a cubic pyrochlorestructure which owned the Fd-3m space group, with a unit cell parameter of 10.1769 Å, whereas BiYO3 displayed a fluorite structure in the Fm-3m space group, with a unit cell parameter of 5.4222 Å. The Mossbauer spectrum of Tm2FeSbO7 showed that Fe3+ ions might locate at octahedral sites. The measured bandgap widths for the TBHP, Tm2FeSbO7, and BiYO3 were 2.14 eV, 2.21 eV, and 2.30 eV, respectively. Multiple experimental results demonstrated that the TBHP exhibited a higher valence band ionization potential, a narrower band gap width, and a higher removal efficiency of the sulfamethoxazole (SMX) compared with the Dy2TmSbO7/BiHoO3 heterojunction photocatalyst. Under visible-light irradiation (VISLI) of 115 min, the TBHP showcased exceptional photocatalytic elimination performance; therefore, the elimination rate of the SMX and the total organic carbon (TOC) mineralization rate reached 99.51% and 98.10%, respectively. In contrast to single-component Tm2FeSbO7, BiYO3, or conventional nitrogen-doped titanium dioxide (N-TiO2) catalyst, the TBHP exhibited removal efficiency enhancement for degrading the SMX by 1.17 times, 1.31 times, or 4.06 times. Simultaneously, the matching mineralization rate for removing the TOC density by employing the TBHP was 1.20 times, 1.34 times, or 4.73 times higher than that by employing Tm2FeSbO7, BiYO3, or conventional N-TiO2. Above experimental results indicated that the mineralization efficiency for removing TOC density by employing the TBHP was higher than that by employing Tm2FeSbO7, BiYO3, or N-TiO2. Radicals trapping experiments and the electron paramagnetic resonance spectroscopy results revealed that hydroxyl radicals, superoxide anions, and photoinduced holes were the primary active species during the catalytic elimination course of the SMX by employing the TBHP under VISLI. The results demonstrated that the direct Z-scheme TBHP, which was developed in this study, exhibited the maximal removal efficiency for degrading the SMX in contrast to Tm2FeSbO7, BiYO3, or N-TiO2. Additionally, the possible elimination routes and elimination mechanisms of the SMX were proposed. Therefore, an important scientific foundation for developing high-performance heterojunction catalysts was established. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Metal-Based Photocatalysts: From Synthesis to Applications)
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24 pages, 6352 KB  
Article
AgBr and Ag3PO4 Coupled with TiO2 as Active Powder Photocatalysts and Glass Coatings
by J. J. Murcia, P. Marín-Polanco, M. Hernández-Laverde, F. Puga, J. A. Navío, M. C. Hidalgo and M. Brijaldo
Inorganics 2025, 13(12), 381; https://doi.org/10.3390/inorganics13120381 - 23 Nov 2025
Viewed by 788
Abstract
In this work, different materials based on TiO2 coupled with either AgBr or Ag3PO4 were synthesized. The Ag3PO4(50%)/TiO2 powder photocatalyst prepared by deposition–precipitation method showed higher antimicrobial activity than the bare TiO2 and [...] Read more.
In this work, different materials based on TiO2 coupled with either AgBr or Ag3PO4 were synthesized. The Ag3PO4(50%)/TiO2 powder photocatalyst prepared by deposition–precipitation method showed higher antimicrobial activity than the bare TiO2 and also than the same coupled powder obtained by sol–gel method. This material achieved 100% E. coli, coliforms, and other enterobacteria elimination. The high bactericidal efficiency of this material could be attributed to the improved properties obtained by coupling Ag3PO4 and TiO2, such as high absorption in the visible region, low band-gap value, and high surface hydroxylation. The sol–gel method was chosen for the production of photocatalytic coatings on borosilicate glass tubes based on TiO2 and Ag3PO4/TiO2 materials due to the ease of its preparation procedure and its suitability for dip coating. In this series, the most effective elimination of E. coli, coliforms, and other enterobacteria was achieved with the glass tubes coated with the laboratory–prepared TiO2 sol. Interestingly, this material presented superior antimicrobial performance as coating (100% of E. coli elimination) compared to its powder form. The titania coating also showed the best efficiency in the degradation of methylene blue (i.e., 95.2%), though this material lost 30% of its photoactivity after four reaction cycles. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Metal-Based Photocatalysts: From Synthesis to Applications)
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