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Photocatalysts: Design, Synthesis, and Applications

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

Deadline for manuscript submissions: 31 October 2026 | Viewed by 806

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Guest Editor
College of Chemical Engineering, Nanjing Forestry University, Nanjing 210037, China
Interests: cellulose utilization; lignin conversion; photocatalysis; metal–organic frameworks; H2O2 production; biomass conversion
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Special Issue Information

Dear Colleagues,

Photocatalysis is one of the most promising pathways to relieve the environmental contamination and energy dilemma caused by the rapid development of modern technology. Semiconductor photocatalysis has been broadly studied since the discovery of TiO2 from H2O splitting under UV-light irradiation in 1972. Apart from TiO2, other semiconductors containing ZnO, g-C3N4, sulfide (e.g., CdS, ZnIn2S4), and bismuth compounds (e. g. BiOX (X = Cl, Br, and I), Bi2MoO6) have also been explored for artificial photocatalysis under UV or visible light. Furthermore, over the past two decades, metal–organic frameworks and covalent organic frameworks with highly tunable structures have also showcased their talent in photocatalysis and have garnered sizeable attention. The involved photocatalytic applications mainly concentrate on pollutant removal, H2 production, CO2 reduction, H2O2 production, and chemical production. However, the photocatalytic performances are mainly contingent on photocatalyst design. The typical countermeasures for photocatalyst design include molecular-level decoration (e.g., doping, morphology engineering, and defect engineering), heterojunction engineering, metal loading, and integration with other functional components.

Based on these, this Special Issue focuses on photocatalyst design, synthesis, and applications, which are of great significance to the advancement of photocatalysis.

Dr. Jianhao Qiu
Guest Editor

Manuscript Submission Information

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Keywords

  • photocatalysis
  • photocatalytic degradation
  • H2 production
  • CO2 reduction
  • H2O2 production

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Published Papers (1 paper)

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Research

18 pages, 4751 KB  
Article
Preparation and Catalytic Performance Study of TiO2-Based Composite Photocatalysts Containing Natural Green CQDs
by Faxue Ma, Zhen Ma, Xiangju Wu, Xueqing Zhu, Yuguang Lv and Yukang Sun
Molecules 2026, 31(11), 1898; https://doi.org/10.3390/molecules31111898 - 1 Jun 2026
Viewed by 460
Abstract
Semiconductor photocatalysis technology is a simple, efficient, and low-cost method for environmental pollution remediation. As a promising photocatalyst for oxidative degradation, titanium dioxide (TiO2) demonstrates the capability to address energy shortages and environmental pollution issues. In this study, orange peel was [...] Read more.
Semiconductor photocatalysis technology is a simple, efficient, and low-cost method for environmental pollution remediation. As a promising photocatalyst for oxidative degradation, titanium dioxide (TiO2) demonstrates the capability to address energy shortages and environmental pollution issues. In this study, orange peel was used as the raw material to synthesize a (TiO2-CdS-C3N4-CDs) TCCC composite photocatalyst containing natural green carbon dots via a one-pot hydrothermal method for the first time. This catalyst was applied to the catalytic degradation of multiple dye molecules (Rhodamine B, Methylene Green, Reactive Brilliant Blue KN-R) and quinolone antibiotic (Ciprofloxacin, CIP) as well as tetracycline antibiotic (Tetracycline, THC). Meanwhile, it provides more adsorption sites for target pollutants and loads electron reservoirs (CDs) on the TCC surface, promoting the separation of photogenerated carriers in pure TiO2, thereby enhancing the visible light utilization and photocatalytic activity of the material. This work expands the application scope of semiconductor photocatalysis technology and TiO2-based photocatalytic active substrates. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Photocatalysts: Design, Synthesis, and Applications)
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