title: Nanostructure sensitization of transition metal oxides for visible-light photocatalysis.
abstract: To better utilize the sunlight for efficient solar energy conversion, the research on visible-light active photocatalysts has recently attracted a lot of interest. The photosensitization of transition metal oxides is a promising approach for achieving effective visible-light photocatalysis. This review article primarily discusses the recent progress in the realm of a variety of nanostructured photosensitizers such as quantum dots, plasmonic metal nanostructures, and carbon nanostructures for coupling with wide-bandgap transition metal oxides to design better visible-light active photocatalysts. The underlying mechanisms of the composite photocatalysts, e.g., the light-induced charge separation and the subsequent visible-light photocatalytic reaction processes in environmental remediation and solar fuel generation fields, are also introduced. A brief outlook on the nanostructure photosensitization is also given.
authors.affiliation: Nanomaterials Centre, School of Chemical Engineering, The University of Queensland, St. Lucia, Brisbane, QLD, 4072, Australia.
authors.forename: Hongjun
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Chen
authors.affiliation: Nanomaterials Centre, School of Chemical Engineering, The University of Queensland, St. Lucia, Brisbane, QLD, 4072, Australia.
authors.forename: Lianzhou
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: Wang
keywords: carbon nanostructures; nanostructure sensitization; plasmonic metal nanostructures; quantum dots; transition metal oxides; visible-light photocatalysis