Photocatalytic synergies: mechanisms, enhancement strategies, and applications

Abstract

Photocatalysis provides sustainable solutions for environmental remediation and energy conversion but remains constrained by wide bandgaps, rapid carrier recombination, and low charge mobility. Synergistic photocatalysis—integrating photo-piezoelectric, photothermal, photoenzymatic, photomagnetic, or photo-ultrasonic effects—can enhance charge separation and reaction kinetics, thereby overcoming these limitations. This review summarizes recent advances in mechanism elucidation, interface engineering, defect modulation, and structural design, highlighting the role of combining advanced in situ characterization with first-principles calculations in revealing mechanisms and predicting performance. Challenges in multi-field optimization, material stability, scalable synthesis, and value-added chemical transformations are discussed. Finally, interdisciplinary strategies are proposed to accelerate mechanism innovation and system integration, providing guidance for the development of next-generation efficient and sustainable photocatalytic technologies.