Carbon dots-based 0D/2D heterostructures and their photocatalytic applications.

CHEN Qitao; LI Yinuo; GAO Yihang; LIU Yanhong; KANG Zhenhui; MAO Baodong

Carbon dots (C-Dots) have received much attention in photocatalyst design and mechanism studies due to their precise size control, unique photoelectrical properties, and abundant surface-active sites, but their catalytic performance is still limited by issues such as severe charge recombination, agglomeration, and poor stability, which mainly stem from the small size and high surface area. A major solution to these problems is loading the zero-dimensional (0D) C-Dots onto ultrathin two-dimensional (2D) nanosheets to form 0D/2D nanocomposites. In this review, we systematically introduce the progress on the design and construction of 0D/2D heterojunction photocatalysts based on C-Dots, and their applications across different photocatalytic reactions, such as hydrogen production, carbon dioxide reduction, and hydrogen peroxide synthesis. We also discuss the key role of various types of 0D/2D heterojunctions according to different photocatalytic mechanisms and corresponding promoting strategies for enhancing the catalytic activity, accelerating charge transfer, and coupling different sites for the surface oxidation/reduction reactions. Finally, the challenges and future research directions associated with these systems are discussed.

HYDROGEN production; CATALYTIC activity; HYDROGEN peroxide; PHOTOCATALYSTS; HETEROSTRUCTURES; HETEROJUNCTIONS; CARBON dioxide reduction

Journal of Molecular Science, 2024, Vol 40, Issue 5, p377

1000-9035

Academic Journal

10.13563/j.cnki.jmolsci.2024.05.101