Metal-halide perovskites have rapidly emerged as one of the most promising materials of the 21st century, with many exciting properties and great potential for a broad range of applications, from photovoltaics to optoelectronics and photocatalysis. The ease with which metal-halide perovskites can be synthesized in the form of brightly luminescent colloidal nanocrystals, as well as their tunable and intriguing optical and electronic properties, has attracted researchers from different disciplines of science and technology. In the last few years, there has been a significant progress in the shape-controlled synthesis of perovskite nanocrystals and understanding of their properties and applications. In this comprehensive review, researchers having expertise in different fields (chemistry, physics, and device engineering) of metal-halide perovskite nanocrystals have joined together to provide a state of the art overview and future prospects of metal-halide perovskite nanocrystal research.

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Heterogeneous photocatalysis is a promising strategy for addressing the worldwide environmental pollution and energy shortage issues. However, unlike TiO2 with good photostability, the intrinsic drawback of photoinduced decomposition, i.e., photocorrosion, of semiconductors significantly challenges durable photocatalysis. In this review, the photocorrosion mechanisms of typical semiconductors and different characterization methods proposed for monitoring the photocorrosion process of semiconductor-based composite photocatalysts are elaborated. Dedicated emphasis is put on the strategies for improving the anti-photocorrosion property of semiconductor-based photocatalysts, including modifying the crystal structure or morphology of semiconductors, doping with heteroatoms, hybridizing with various semiconductors and/or cocatalysts, and regulating the photocatalytic reaction conditions. Finally, we cast a personal prospect on the future development of the rational design of corrosion-controlled semiconductor-based photocatalysts toward versatile photoredox applications.

Coupling ZnO with carbon materials using a suitable integration method to form ZnO-carbon composites has been established as a promising strategy to ameliorate the photocatalytic performance of semiconductor ZnO. In this perspective article, we describe the recent advances and current status of enhancing the photocatalytic activity and anti-photocorrosion of semiconductor ZnO by coupling with versatile carbon materials, e.g., C60, carbon nanotube, graphene and other carbon materials. The primary roles of carbon materials in boosting the photoactivity and photostability of ZnO have been outlined and illustrated with some selected typical examples. In particular, the three main kinds of mechanisms with regard to anti-photocorrosion of ZnO by coupling with carbon have been demonstrated. Finally, we give a concise perspective on this important research area and specifically propose further research opportunities in optimizing the photocatalytic performance of ZnO-carbon composites and widening the scope of their potential photocatalytic applications.

A simple, low‐temperature synthesis approach is reported for planting CdS‐sensitized 1D ZnO nanorod arrays on the 2D graphene (GR) sheet to obtain the ternary hierarchical nanostructures, during which graphene oxide (GO) as the precursor of GR acts as a flexible substrate for the formation of ZnO nanorod arrays. The hierarchical CdS‐1D ZnO‐2D GR hybrids can serve as an efficient visible‐light‐driven photocatalyst for selective organic transformations. The fast electron transport of 1D ZnO nanorods, the well‐known electronic conductivity of 2D GR, the intense visible‐light absorption of CdS, the unique hierarchical structure, and the matched energy levels of CdS, ZnO and GR efficiently boost the photogenerated charge carriers separation and transfer across the interfacial domain of hierarchical CdS‐1D ZnO‐2D GR hybrids under visible light irradiation via three‐level electron transfer process. Furthermore, the superior reusability of ternary hybrids is achieved by controlling the reaction parameters, i.e., using visible light irradiation and holes scavenger to prevent ZnO and CdS from photocorrosion. This work demonstrates a facile way of fabricating hierarchical CdS‐1D ZnO‐2D GR hybrids in a controlled manner and highlights a promising scope of adopting integrative photosensitization and co‐catalyst strategy to design more efficient semiconductor‐based composite photocatalysts toward solar energy capture and conversion.

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