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Nanomaterials
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Advanced Nanomaterials for Photocatalysis and Environmental Remediation
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Advanced Nanomaterials for Photocatalysis and Environmental Remediation

A special issue of Nanomaterials (ISSN 2079-4991). This special issue belongs to the section "Energy and Catalysis".

Deadline for manuscript submissions: closed (19 September 2025) | Viewed by 4870

Special Issue Editors

Dr. Peng Zhang

E-Mail Website
Guest Editor
School of Environmental Science and Engineering, Tiangong University, Tianjin 300387, China
Interests: photocatalysis; biomass-derived carbon; carbon-based catalysts
Special Issues, Collections and Topics in MDPI journals
Dr. Xiaoyan Yang

E-Mail Website
Guest Editor
School of Chemistry and Chemical Engineering, Shangqiu Normal University, Shangqiu 476000, China
Interests: photocatalysis; nanocrystal materials; rare earth-based photocatalysts
Special Issues, Collections and Topics in MDPI journals
Dr. Yuwei Wang

E-Mail Website
Guest Editor
Research Center for Eco-Environmental Engineering, Dongguan University of Technology, Dongguan 523808, China
Interests: photocatalysis; MXene-based materials; nitric oxide conversion
Special Issues, Collections and Topics in MDPI journals

Special Issue Information

Dear Colleagues,

Due to its universality, affordability, and sustainability, solar energy has recently acquired an extensive interest in fighting the global energy crisis and environmental pressure. Excited by global energy, photocatalysis can impel chemical reactions, thus being regarded as an ideal green chemical technology. In the field of environmental remediation, photocatalysis is also widely developed and successfully applied for various reactions, such as degradation of organic pollution, reduction of Cr(VI), NOx removal, and VOC combustion.

This Special Issue of Nanomaterials is aimed at presenting the current photocatalytic materials for environmental applications, including nanocrystal, nanocarbon, and nanocomposite. Compared with the traditional particles, nanosized catalysts would exhibit unique physical, photoelectronic, and chemical properties. Therefore, nanocatalysts are also expected to have superior photocatalytic performance in various chemical reactions. In the present Special Issue, we have invited contributions from leading groups to publish their latest research results on advanced nanomaterials for photocatalysis in the field of environmental remediation.

Dr. Peng Zhang
Dr. Xiaoyan Yang
Dr. Yuwei Wang
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. Nanomaterials is an international peer-reviewed open access semimonthly 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 2400 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

  • photocatalysis
  • nanocatalyst
  • environmental photocatalysis
  • photocatalytic nanomaterials
  • environmental remediation

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

Published Papers (3 papers)

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Research

16 pages, 4080 KB  
Article
The Photocatalytic Activity of Photoresponsive Silver Nanoparticle/Zinc Oxide Composite Thin Films with Unprecedently Elevated Quantities of Silver
by Likius Shipwiisho Daniel, Patemasella Gawanas, Alina Uusiku, Willem Pendukeni Nashidengo, Ateeq Rahman, Kassian T. T. Amesho and Veikko Uahengo
Nanomaterials 2026, 16(6), 340; https://doi.org/10.3390/nano16060340 - 10 Mar 2026
Viewed by 465
Abstract
The photocatalytic efficacy of metallic silver nanoparticle/zinc oxide (Ag-NPs/ZnO) composite thin films, COMP-Agx, with varying silver concentrations (0 mol% ≤ x ≤ 100 mol%), is investigated for the degradation of methyl orange (MO). The films were spin-coated on a silica glass [...] Read more.
The photocatalytic efficacy of metallic silver nanoparticle/zinc oxide (Ag-NPs/ZnO) composite thin films, COMP-Agx, with varying silver concentrations (0 mol% ≤ x ≤ 100 mol%), is investigated for the degradation of methyl orange (MO). The films were spin-coated on a silica glass surface at 600 °C utilizing the molecular precursor method (MPM). The XRD spectra of these composite thin films revealed three significant peaks corresponding to the diffraction planes of (0 0 2), (1 0 0), and (1 0 1), indicative of the formation of ZnO crystallites in diverse orientations, in conjunction with an additional signal for cubic Ag crystals. The magnitude of the ZnO peaks diminishes as the mol% of silver increases. The images from the SEM confirm the integration of Ag-NPs into the ZnO matrix. The UV/Vis absorption spectra exhibit a 410 nm surface plasmon resonance (SPR) peak for composite Ag-NP/ZnO thin films. The absorption spectra of ZnO and Ag-NP/ZnO composite thin films demonstrate the band gap of ZnO to be 3.4 eV, while the band gaps of the composite thin films nearly approximate that of ZnO. The decomposition rates of the MO solution indicate that composite thin films function effectively under visible irradiation compared to pure ZnO. The optical properties indicated that the SPR of Ag-NPs contributed to the visible responsiveness of the composite thin films. The SPR demonstrate significant visible light responsiveness and essential characteristics during photoexcited electron transfer from the Ag-NPs to the ZnO conduction band. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Advanced Nanomaterials for Photocatalysis and Environmental Remediation)
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18 pages, 2606 KB  
Article
Computational Study of ZnO Surface Catalysis: Adsorption of H2O or/and O2 as a Pathway to ROS Formation
by Sena E. Adjovi, Monica Calatayud and Lourdes Gracia
Nanomaterials 2025, 15(17), 1328; https://doi.org/10.3390/nano15171328 - 29 Aug 2025
Cited by 3 | Viewed by 1524
Abstract
Reactive oxygen species (ROS) play a central role in photocatalytic processes relevant to environmental remediation and clean energy. This work focused on the computational investigation of ZnO surface reactivity toward H2O and O2 adsorption, as a preliminary step in understanding [...] Read more.
Reactive oxygen species (ROS) play a central role in photocatalytic processes relevant to environmental remediation and clean energy. This work focused on the computational investigation of ZnO surface reactivity toward H2O and O2 adsorption, as a preliminary step in understanding ROS generation pathways. Surface stability and adsorption energies for isolated and co-adsorbed H2O and O2 molecules on different ZnO surfaces (both in their pristine form and with oxygen vacancies) were evaluated using DFT calculations at the PBE-D3 level under various surface coverages. The introduction of vacancies on the pristine (001) and (100) surfaces enhanced O2 binding, particularly in inclined configurations at the defect sites, with the adsorption energies reaching −2.63 eV and −2.04 eV, respectively. However, the (110) surface showed very strong H2O binding, but weak O2 adsorption, which only modestly improved with vacancies. Co-adsorption of H2O and O2 exhibited synergistic stabilization, especially on the (001) and (100) surfaces, where ROS were formed through proton transfers either between adsorbed H2O and O2 or between H2O and surface oxygen atoms. These findings provide detailed insight into the mechanistic role of surface defects in ROS generation and support the rational design of ZnO-based photocatalysts. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Advanced Nanomaterials for Photocatalysis and Environmental Remediation)
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12 pages, 3778 KB  
Article
Investigation of Two Novel Heterojunction Photocatalysts with Boosted Hydrogen Evolution Performance
by Kaifeng Zhang, Xudong Wang and Yanjing Su
Nanomaterials 2024, 14(23), 1947; https://doi.org/10.3390/nano14231947 - 4 Dec 2024
Cited by 3 | Viewed by 1902
Abstract
Among the reported photocatalysts, ZnIn2S4 has garnered significant research interest due to its advantageous layered structure and appropriate band gap. However, achieving rational design and effective interfacial regulation in heterojunctions remains challenging. In this study, we designed two novel heterojunctions: [...] Read more.
Among the reported photocatalysts, ZnIn2S4 has garnered significant research interest due to its advantageous layered structure and appropriate band gap. However, achieving rational design and effective interfacial regulation in heterojunctions remains challenging. In this study, we designed two novel heterojunctions: SrTiO3@ZnIn2S4 and SrCrO3@ZnIn2S4. The photocatalytic hydrogen evolution performance of prepared heterojunctions was systematically investigated under different single-wavelength light sources. Without a cocatalyst, the optimized hydrogen evolution efficiency of SrTiO3@ZnIn2S4 and SrCrO3@ZnIn2S4 reached 3.27 and 4.6 mmol g−1. The enhanced photocatalytic performance can be attributed to the formation of a type-II heterojunction, which improves light absorption capabilities and promotes the separation and transfer of photoinduced carriers. This study provides valuable insights into the strategic construction of heterojunctions for photocatalytic water splitting. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Advanced Nanomaterials for Photocatalysis and Environmental Remediation)
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