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Photocatalytic Materials and Photocatalytic Reactions, 2nd Edition
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Photocatalytic Materials and Photocatalytic Reactions, 2nd Edition

A special issue of Molecules (ISSN 1420-3049). This special issue belongs to the section "Photochemistry".

Deadline for manuscript submissions: 30 September 2025 | Viewed by 4110

Special Issue Editors

Prof. Dr. Sugang Meng

E-Mail Website
Guest Editor
Key Laboratory of Green and Precise Synthetic Chemistry and applications, Ministry of Education, College of Chemistry and Materials Science, Huaibei Normal University, Huaibei 235000, China
Interests: Photocatalysis; artificial photosynthesis; hydrogen evolution; selective oxidation; low-dimensional nanomaterials; CO2 reduction; N2 fixation
Special Issues, Collections and Topics in MDPI journals
Prof. Dr. Bo Weng

E-Mail Website
Guest Editor
Institute of Urban Environment, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Xiamen 361024, China
Interests: photocatalysis; metal nanoparticles; perovskites; H2 evolution; selective organic transformations; CO2 reduction
Special Issues, Collections and Topics in MDPI journals

Special Issue Information

Dear Colleagues, 

Photocatalysis is one of the most promising strategies for addressing severe issues regarding the environment and energy, and consequently attracts extensive and ongoing attention. Designing more efficient advanced photocatalytic materials and exploring green, carbon neutral photocatalytic reactions are both highly significant for promoting sustainability. Low-dimensional nanomaterials are rising stars in photocatalysis due to their unique and fascinating properties, encompassing  inorganic nonmetallic materials, MOFs, LSPR materials, various nanocomposites, etc. This Special Issue focuses on designing advanced photocatalysts, understanding their structure-dependent properties, and seeking to exploit them in the fields of energy conversion, pollutant degradation, artificial photosynthesis, organic synthesis, etc.

Prof. Dr. Sugang Meng
Prof. Dr. Bo Weng
Guest Editors

Manuscript Submission Information

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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. Molecules is an international peer-reviewed open access semimonthly journal published by MDPI.

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Keywords

  • photocatalysts
  • carbon neutral
  • charge carrier separation
  • photocatalytic mechanism
  • photoredox reaction
  • nanocomposites

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Related Special Issue

Published Papers (6 papers)

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Research

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21 pages, 3201 KiB  
Article
Role of p-Benzoquinone in the Photocatalytic Production of Solketal
by Alejandro Ariza-Pérez, Juan Martín-Gómez, M. Carmen Herrera-Beurnio, Francisco J. López-Tenllado, Jesús Hidalgo-Carrillo, Alberto Marinas and Francisco J. Urbano
Molecules 2025, 30(16), 3339; https://doi.org/10.3390/molecules30163339 - 11 Aug 2025
Abstract
The role of p-benzoquinone (BQ) as a photocatalyst in the synthesis of solketal under UV irradiation has been studied, along with the combined use of BQ/TiO2 P25 as a photocatalytic system for the process. The presence of the O2/O [...] Read more.
The role of p-benzoquinone (BQ) as a photocatalyst in the synthesis of solketal under UV irradiation has been studied, along with the combined use of BQ/TiO2 P25 as a photocatalytic system for the process. The presence of the O2/O2−• redox couple is essential for the reaction to take place. However, experiments with p-benzoquinone as a superoxide radical scavenger failed, with the opposite effect of enhancing the reaction being observed. It was found that p-benzoquinone and oxygen compete for photogenerated electrons in the conduction band of titania. A redox equilibrium between p-benzoquinone and hydroquinone (H2Q), mediated by the O2/O2−• system, was identified as a key factor in enabling the reaction. Furthermore, EPR spin-trapping experiments confirmed the presence of the carbon-centered radical 2-hydroxypropan-2-yl, which was determined to be the main radical species involved in the process. Either acetone or 2-propanol can generate this radical, with the BQ/H2Q redox system being pivotal in the formation of the hemiacetal intermediate. This intermediate is subsequently converted into the final acetal (solketal), with H2Q acting as a photoacid through an excited-state proton transfer (ESPT) mechanism. The photoacid behavior of hydroquinone was confirmed using pyridine as a basic probe, as the formation of hydroquinone–pyridine adducts was detected by Raman spectroscopy. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Photocatalytic Materials and Photocatalytic Reactions, 2nd Edition)
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16 pages, 3614 KiB  
Article
Preparation of Cl-Doped g-C3N4 Photocatalyst and Its Photocatalytic Degradation of Rhodamine B
by Jing Zhang, Lixia Wang, Yang Li, Yuhong Huang, Renbin Song, Chen Cheng, Qian Luo, Ruiqi Zhai, Yijie Meng, Peixin Zhang, Qiang Ma and Yingjie Zhang
Molecules 2025, 30(9), 1910; https://doi.org/10.3390/molecules30091910 - 25 Apr 2025
Viewed by 869
Abstract
The increasing global demand for clean water is driving the development of advanced wastewater treatment technologies. Graphitic carbon nitride (g-C3N4) has emerged as an efficient photocatalyst for degrading organic pollutants, such as synthetic dyes, due to its exceptional thermo-chemical [...] Read more.
The increasing global demand for clean water is driving the development of advanced wastewater treatment technologies. Graphitic carbon nitride (g-C3N4) has emerged as an efficient photocatalyst for degrading organic pollutants, such as synthetic dyes, due to its exceptional thermo-chemical stability. However, its application is limited by an insufficient specific surface area, low photocatalytic efficiency, and an unclear degradation mechanism. In this study, we aimed to enhance g-C3N4 by doping it with elemental chlorine, resulting in a series of Cl-C3N4 photocatalysts with varying doping ratios, prepared via thermal polymerization. The photocatalytic activity of g-C3N4 was assessed by measuring the degradation rate of RhB. A comprehensive characterization of the Cl-C3N4 composites was conducted using SEM, XRD, XPS, PL, DRS, BET, EPR, and electrochemical measurements. Our results indicated that the optimized 1:2 Cl-C3N4 photocatalyst exhibited exceptional performance, achieving 99.93% RhB removal within 80 min of irradiation. TOC mineralization reached 91.73% after 150 min, and 88.12% removal of antibiotics was maintained after four cycles, demonstrating the excellent stability of the 1:2 Cl-C3N4 photocatalyst. Mechanistic investigations revealed that superoxide radicals (·O2−) and singlet oxygen (1O2) were the primary reactive oxygen species responsible for the degradation of RhB in the chlorine-doped g-C3N4 photocatalytic system. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Photocatalytic Materials and Photocatalytic Reactions, 2nd Edition)
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11 pages, 6281 KiB  
Article
Using Green Solvents for Phase Inversion of PVDF/TiO2 Hybrid Coatings for Gas Phase Photocatalysis
by Ewoud Cosaert, Hadis Mortazavi Milani, Geraldine J. Heynderickx and Dirk Poelman
Molecules 2025, 30(8), 1700; https://doi.org/10.3390/molecules30081700 - 10 Apr 2025
Viewed by 460
Abstract
Long-time exposure to volatile organic compounds (VOCs) in the atmosphere can have negative health effects on humans and other living organisms. In order to purify ambient air, these VOCs can be degraded using photocatalysis. In this research, commercially available TiO2 nanoparticles were [...] Read more.
Long-time exposure to volatile organic compounds (VOCs) in the atmosphere can have negative health effects on humans and other living organisms. In order to purify ambient air, these VOCs can be degraded using photocatalysis. In this research, commercially available TiO2 nanoparticles were immobilized in a porous poly(vinylidene fluoride-co-hexa-fluoropropylene) (PVDF) polymer matrix, synthesized using the phase inversion method. The most used solvent for PVDF is N-methyl-2-pyrrolidone (NMP). However, this solvent is known to be harmful to humans and the environment, and there is a need to replace NMP with a more ecological ‘green’ solvent. Here, triethyl phosphate (TEP), methyl-5-(dimethylamino)-2-methyl-5-oxopentanoate (Rhodiasolv® PolarClean) and propylene carbonate (PC) were used to dissolve PVDF for the phase inversion synthesis of porous photocatalytically active PVDF/TiO2 hybrid layers onto aluminium slides. The photocatalytic degradation under UV (365 nm) of gaseous ethanol in an argon/oxygen (Ar/O2) atmosphere shows that these solvents are suitable replacements for NMP, but optimization is required to improve the performance of the layers. Apart from changing the solvent for PVDF, the UV and photocatalysis stability of PVDF has been determined, as well as the repeatability of the photocatalytic reaction, to prove that PVDF is a suitable polymer for this application. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Photocatalytic Materials and Photocatalytic Reactions, 2nd Edition)
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13 pages, 2673 KiB  
Article
Construction of Hierarchical 2D-3D@3D Zn3In2S6@CdS Photocatalyst for Boosting Degradation of an Azo Dye
by Andreas Katsamitros, Nikolaos Karamoschos, Labrini Sygellou, Konstantinos S. Andrikopoulos and Dimitrios Tasis
Molecules 2025, 30(7), 1409; https://doi.org/10.3390/molecules30071409 - 21 Mar 2025
Viewed by 440
Abstract
Herein, flower-like Zn3In2S6 (ZIS3) crystallites were grown onto acorn leaf-like CdS assemblies via a two-step hydrothermal approach. Under visible light irradiation, the Zn3In2S6-enriched heterostructures demonstrated an enhanced azo-dye degradation rate, [...] Read more.
Herein, flower-like Zn3In2S6 (ZIS3) crystallites were grown onto acorn leaf-like CdS assemblies via a two-step hydrothermal approach. Under visible light irradiation, the Zn3In2S6-enriched heterostructures demonstrated an enhanced azo-dye degradation rate, with the majority of the organic analyte (Orange G) being degraded within 60 min. In contrast, the CdS-enriched hybrids showed poor photocatalytic performance. The optimized hybrid containing a nominal CdS content of 4 wt% was characterized by various physicochemical techniques, such as XRD, SEM, XPS and Raman. XPS analysis showed that the electron density around the Zn and In sites in Zn3In2S6 was slightly increased, implying a certain charge migration pattern. Complementary information from scavenging experiments suggested that hydroxy radicals were not the exclusive transient responsible for oxidative degradation of the organic azo-dye. This research provides new information about the development of metal chalcogenide-based heterostructures for efficient photocatalytic organic pollutant degradation. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Photocatalytic Materials and Photocatalytic Reactions, 2nd Edition)
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12 pages, 2826 KiB  
Article
Visible-Light-Mediated Aerobic α-Oxygenation of Tetrahydroisoquinolines and Isoindolines Without External Photocatalysts
by Taiqiang Ye, Yuzheng Li, Feng Zhao, Aorou Song, Zhaoxia Zhong, Shenpeng Tan and Feng Li
Molecules 2025, 30(3), 743; https://doi.org/10.3390/molecules30030743 - 6 Feb 2025
Viewed by 918
Abstract
A visible-light-mediated strategy for the direct oxygenation of N-substituted tetrahydroisoquinolines and isoindolines to the corresponding benzo-fused lactams under clean conditions without using any external photocatalysts has been developed. The reaction was performed in the presence of a catalytic amount of base and [...] Read more.
A visible-light-mediated strategy for the direct oxygenation of N-substituted tetrahydroisoquinolines and isoindolines to the corresponding benzo-fused lactams under clean conditions without using any external photocatalysts has been developed. The reaction was performed in the presence of a catalytic amount of base and oxygen. Mechanistic studies reveal that the reaction is initiated by the substrates themselves as photosensitizers. Additionally, BHT could be used as a buffer-like additive to improve reaction selectivity and product yield in this photo-oxidation process. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Photocatalytic Materials and Photocatalytic Reactions, 2nd Edition)
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Review

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35 pages, 3292 KiB  
Review
Photocatalysis and Photodynamic Therapy in Diabetic Foot Ulcers (DFUs) Care: A Novel Approach to Infection Control and Tissue Regeneration
by Paweł Mikziński, Karolina Kraus, Rafał Seredyński, Jarosław Widelski and Emil Paluch
Molecules 2025, 30(11), 2323; https://doi.org/10.3390/molecules30112323 - 26 May 2025
Viewed by 883
Abstract
Photocatalysis and photodynamic therapy have been increasingly used in the management of diabetic foot ulcers (DFUs), and their integration into increasingly innovative treatment protocols enables effective infection control. Advanced techniques such as antibacterial photodynamic therapy (aPDT), liposomal photocatalytic carriers, nanoparticles, and nanomotors—used alone, [...] Read more.
Photocatalysis and photodynamic therapy have been increasingly used in the management of diabetic foot ulcers (DFUs), and their integration into increasingly innovative treatment protocols enables effective infection control. Advanced techniques such as antibacterial photodynamic therapy (aPDT), liposomal photocatalytic carriers, nanoparticles, and nanomotors—used alone, in combination, or with the addition of antibiotics, lysozyme, or phage enzymes—offer promising solutions for wound treatment. These approaches are particularly effective even in the presence of comorbidities such as angiopathies, neuropathies, and immune system disorders, which are common among diabetic patients. Notably, the use of combination therapies holds great potential for addressing challenges within diabetic foot ulcers, including hypoxia, poor circulation, high glucose levels, increased oxidative stress, and rapid biofilm formation—factors that significantly hinder wound healing in diabetic patients. The integration of modern therapeutic strategies is essential for effective clinical practice, starting with halting infection progression, ensuring its effective eradication, and promoting proper tissue regeneration, especially considering that, according to the WHO, 830 million people worldwide suffer from diabetes. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Photocatalytic Materials and Photocatalytic Reactions, 2nd Edition)
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