Issue 6, 2020

Nanoscale boron carbonitride semiconductors for photoredox catalysis

Abstract

The conversion of solar energy to chemical energy achieved by photocatalysts comprising homogeneous transition-metal based systems, organic dyes, or semiconductors has received significant attention in recent years. Among these photocatalysts, boron carbon nitride (BCN) materials, as an emerging class of metal-free heterogeneous semiconductors, have extended the scope of photocatalysts due to their good performance and Earth abundance. The combination of boron (B), carbon (C), and nitrogen (N) constitutes a ternary system with large surface area and abundant activity sites, which together contribute to the good performance for reduction reactions, oxidation reactions and orchestrated both reduction and oxidation reactions. This Minireview reports the methods for the synthesis of nanoscale hexagonal boron carbonitride (h-BCN) and describes the latest advances in the application of h-BCN materials as semiconductor photocatalysts for sustainable photosynthesis, such as water splitting, reduction of CO2, acceptorless dehydrogenation, oxidation of sp3 C–H bonds, and sp2 C–H functionalization. h-BCN materials may have potential for applications in other organic transformations and industrial manufacture in the future.

Graphical abstract: Nanoscale boron carbonitride semiconductors for photoredox catalysis

Article information

Article type
Minireview
Submitted
02 noy 2019
Accepted
06 yan 2020
First published
08 yan 2020

Nanoscale, 2020,12, 3593-3604

Nanoscale boron carbonitride semiconductors for photoredox catalysis

M. Zheng, W. Cai, Y. Fang and X. Wang, Nanoscale, 2020, 12, 3593 DOI: 10.1039/C9NR09333H

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