Utilizing Partially Filled Inner Electron Centers: An Overview of their Enhanced Photocatalysis for Energy and Environmental Applications
Abstract
Photocatalysis technology has attracted much attention in the fields of energy and environment, the core of which is the design of photocatalyst. In the past decade, improving performance by changing the internal electronic structure has attracted attention, especially the d-band (p-band) center manipulation, which is mainly used in photocatalytic hydrogen production and CO2 reduction. In photocatalysis, the d-band (p-band) center of photocatalysts is analyzed by theoretical calculation, which is crucial for photon absorption, electron-hole pair generation, charge separation, transportation, and targeted surface catalytic reactions. By manipulating the d-band (p-band) centers through element doping and other means, the overall electron distribution of the photocatalysts is affected, so that it has a great impact on the adsorption of small molecule intermediate products, optimize and change the reaction path, and realize the improvement of the photocatalytic performance. The objective of this review is to furnish a thorough overview on this topic for a diverse audience. It introduces the advantages of the d-band (p-band) center strategy, explores its correlation with the photocatalytic mechanism, elucidates methodologies for introducing these centers, and discusses existing challenges and potential future prospects in the field.