Recent Progress, Challenges, and Prospects in Two-Dimensional Photo-Catalyst Materials and Environmental Remediation

Abstract

The successful photo-catalyst library gives significant information on feature that affects photo-catalytic performance and proposes new materials. Competency is considerably significant to form multi-functional photo-catalysts with flexible characteristics. Since recently, two-dimensional materials (2DMs) gained much attention from researchers, due to their unique thickness-dependent uses, mainly for photo-catalytic, outstanding chemical and physical properties. Photo-catalytic water splitting and hydrogen (H2) evolution by plentiful compounds as electron (e−) donors is estimated to participate in constructing clean method for solar H2-formation. Heterogeneous photo-catalysis received much research attention caused by their applications to tackle numerous energy and environmental issues. This broad review explains progress regarding 2DMs, significance in structure, and catalytic results. We will discuss in detail current progresses of approaches for adjusting 2DMs-based photo-catalysts to assess their photo-activity including doping, hetero-structure scheme, and functional formation assembly. Suggested plans, e.g., doping and sensitization of semiconducting 2DMs, increasing electrical conductance, improving catalytic active sites, strengthening interface coupling in semiconductors (SCs) 2DMs, forming nano-structures, building multi-junction nano-composites, increasing photo-stability of SCs, and using combined results of adapted approaches, are summed up. Hence, to further improve 2DMs photo-catalyst properties, hetero-structure design-based 2DMs’ photo-catalyst basic mechanism is also reviewed.

Differences and Similarities of Photocatalysis and Electrocatalysis in Two-Dimensional Nanomaterials: Strategies, Traps, Applications and Challenges

“…On the basis of the above concluded superiority of 2D nanocatalysts, great progress has been achieved in 2D nanomaterials for photocatalysis and electrocatalysis [ 10 , 34 , 43 , 44 ]. Nevertheless, the catalytic activity of 2D nanomaterials needs to be further enhanced, and there are a series of strategies gradually emerging [ 76 – 78 ], which will be suggested in the following subsections.…”

“…Therefore, comprehensive overview is still needed to provide new insights on the fabrication and application of recent developments, and fundamental studies are needed for clear reaction processes to improve catalytic performance for applications that are ripe for industrial exploitation [38][39][40]. There have been a variety of excellent reviews on 2D nanomaterials for catalysis [10,34,[41][42][43][44]. However, related issues of differences and similarities between photocatalysis and electrocatalysis in 2D nanomaterials are still vacant, but worthy of great attention since demands to generate exceptional catalytic activities are strongly different for photocatalytic and electrocatalytic reaction systems.…”

Recent Advances on Properties and Utility of Nanomaterials Generated from Industrial and Biological Activities

“…In the present-day energy-savvy scenario, everyone is anxious to obtain quicker and greater product formation, minimizing not only the operational steps, but also the energy requirements. 2D NMs serve as ideal solutions to all these concerns in having a high aspect ratio, high electron mobility, unsaturated surface coordination, and unique material properties (especially physical, chemical and electronic) [161]. The ultrafine thickness of these materials confers upon them ultrahigh specific surface areas and high surface energy, making them appropriate towards numerous surface-active applications such as those in fuel cells.…”

Sensing Applications of Atomically Thin Group IV Carbon Siblings Xenes: Progress, Challenges, and Prospects

“…These obstacles might be solved through a novel 2DMs Xenes progress as recently established via development for fabrication and applications of 2D covalent organic frameworks, which show outstanding thermal, mechanical and catalyst stability. [ 454,455 ]…”

“…These obstacles might be solved through a novel 2DMs Xenes progress as recently established via development for fabrication and applications of 2D covalent organic frameworks, which show outstanding thermal, mechanical and catalyst stability. [454,455] 2D Xenes can potentially serve as a nanotechnology platform with multiple physical features for fundamental research and applications. The diverse material properties in intrinsic and functionalized Xenes permit a wide degree of freedom in designing efficient, on-demand or reconfigurable devices, e.g., sensing nanodevices.…”