Semiconductor photocatalysis is currently attracting tremendous attention as it holds great potential to address the issues of energy shortage and environmental pollution. 2D materials are excellent candidates for photocatalysis owing to their attractive structural and electronic properties. However, practical applications of 2D materials are still hindered due to limitations, such as fast electron–hole recombination and poor redox ability, both of which lead to low efficiency of photocatalytic reactions. Constructing a heterojunction is the most widely used strategy to solve these problems. In particular, heterojunctions composed of 2D materials interfaced with other semiconductors of different dimensionalities can integrate the respective advantages and mitigate the drawbacks of each component. Hence, this review focuses on the recent developments in the rational design of 2D material‐based heterojunction photocatalysts with different configurations. The synthetic strategies, physicochemical properties, component functions, photocatalytic mechanisms, and applications of these heterojunctions are systematically summarized. Emphasis is placed on correlations between photocatalytic performance and heterojunction configuration. Finally, the ongoing challenges and potential directions for future development of 2D material‐based heterojunction photocatalysts are also proposed.
Development
of a p–n heterojunction to achieve efficient
degradation of organic pollutants is a promising approach in the field
of photocatalysis. Herein, BiVO4 with bioinspired hierarchical
structures was prepared with the sol–gel method and combined
with BiOCl nanoplates to construct a 3D/2D configuration via an in situ deposition route. The hierarchical BiVO4 served as an excellent substrate to achieve the uniform loading
of BiOCl nanoplates. The obtained 3D/2D BiVO4/BiOCl hybrids
exhibited significantly enhanced photocatalytic efficiency for degrading
phenol under visible light irradiation, with a first-order reaction
rate constant that was 9.9 and 1.9 times higher than those of hierarchical
BiVO4 and the BiVO4/BiOCl hybrids without hierarchical
structures, respectively. Moreover, the hierarchical BiVO4/BiOCl also displayed good photochemical stability for the degradation
of phenol after three recycles. The p–n heterojunction and
hierarchical structure worked together to form a spatial conductive
network framework, which possessed improved visible light absorption,
high specific surface area, as well as effective separation and transfer
of photogenerated charge carriers.
Currently, the synthesis of carbon dots (CDs) exhibiting long-wavelength emission is still challenging. Herein, we have synthesized for the first time three types of CD with multicolor emission derived from isomers. Importantly, their particle size, nitrogen-doping amount and band gaps collectively regulate the fluorescence emission of the proposed CDs.
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