Fundamentals of TiO 2 Photocatalysis: Concepts, Mechanisms, and Challenges
Qing Guoa b c d, Chuanyao Zhoub d, Zhibo Mab d, Xueming Yanga b c d✉
- aDepartment of Chemistry Southern University of Science and Technology 1088 Xueyuan Avenue Shenzhen 518055 China
- bState Key Laboratory of Molecular Reaction Dynamics Dalian Institute of Chemical Physics Chinese Academy of Sciences 457 Zhongshan Road Dalian Liaoning 116023 China
- cDepartment of Chemistry, Southern University of Science and Technology, 1088 Xueyuan Avenue, Shenzhen, 518055 China
- dState Key Laboratory of Molecular Reaction Dynamics, Dalian Institute of Chemical Physics, Chinese Academy of Sciences, 457 Zhongshan Road, Dalian, Liaoning, 116023 China
- ✉Corresponding author
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Abstract
Abstract Photocatalysis has been widely applied in various areas, such as solar cells, water splitting, and pollutant degradation. Therefore, the photochemical mechanisms and basic principles of photocatalysis, especially TiO 2 photocatalysis, have been extensively investigated by various surface science methods in the last decade, aiming to provide important information for TiO 2 photocatalysis under real environmental conditions. Recent progress that provides fundamental insights into TiO 2 photocatalysis at a molecular level is highlighted. Insights into the structures of TiO 2 and the basic principles of TiO 2 photocatalysis are discussed first, which provides the basic concepts of TiO 2 photocatalysis. Following this, details of the photochemistry of three important molecules (oxygen, water, methanol) on the model TiO 2 surfaces are presented, in an attempt to unravel the relationship between charge/energy transfer and bond breaking/forming in TiO 2 photocatalysis. Lastly, challenges and opportunities of the mechanistic studies of TiO 2 photocatalysis at the molecular level are discussed briefly, as well as possible photocatalysis models.