Smart Utilization of Carbon Dots in Semiconductor Photocatalysis. Issue 43 (14th September 2016)

• Record Type: Journal Article
• Authors: Yu, Huijun; Shi, Run; Zhao, Yufei; Waterhouse, Geoffrey I. N.; Wu, Li‐Zhu; Tung, Chen‐Ho; Zhang, Tierui
• Is Part Of: Advanced materials. Volume 28:Issue 43(2016)
• Page Start: 9454
• Page End: 9477
• Publication Date: 2016-09-14
• Subjects: carbon dots -- CO2 reduction -- graphene quantum dots -- H2 evolution -- photocatalysis; Materials -- Periodicals; Chemical vapor deposition -- Periodicals; 620.11
• DOI: 10.1002/adma.201602581
• Languages: English
• ISSNs: 0935-9648

Abstract

Abstract : Efficient capture of solar energy will be critical to meeting the energy needs of the future. Semiconductor photocatalysis is expected to make an important contribution in this regard, delivering both energy carriers (especially H2 ) and valuable chemical feedstocks under direct sunlight. Over the past few years, carbon dots (CDs) have emerged as a promising new class of metal‐free photocatalyst, displaying semiconductor‐like photoelectric properties and showing excellent performance in a wide variety of photoelectrochemical and photocatalytic applications owing to their ease of synthesis, unique structure, adjustable composition, ease of surface functionalization, outstanding electron‐transfer efficiency and tunable light‐harvesting range (from deep UV to the near‐infrared). Here, recent advances in the rational design of CDs‐based photocatalysts are highlighted and their applications in photocatalytic environmental remediation, water splitting into hydrogen, CO2 reduction, and organic synthesis are discussed. Abstract : Carbon dots (CDs) have emerged as promising materials for various photocatalytic reactions owing to their tunable light‐harvesting range and outstanding electron‐transfer efficiency stemming from their intrinsic nanostructures. Recent advances in the rational design of CD‐based photocatalysts and their applications in photocatalytic environmental remediation, hydrogen evolution by water splitting, CO2 reduction, and organic synthesis are highlighted.