Issue 5, 2022

Photocatalytic polymer nanomaterials for the production of high value compounds

Abstract

Nanotechnology has provided a platform for producing new photocatalytic materials, where the reduction in length scales has been used to amplify the efficiency of these light active materials. The progression to nano-based photocatalysts has been driven by the increase in surface area that is achieved. Furthermore, nanophotocatalysts based on porous polymers or gel materials are often more active as reagents can more easily partition across the whole photocatalyst. Here, reducing the diffusional path length for substrates across the porous/gel material increases the quantity of accessible active sites in the photocatalytic material. The formation of nanophotocatalytic materials has also enabled the formation of functional nanoparticles that can be used in different conditions traditionally inaccessible to bulk catalysts. Specifically, aqueous compatible nanophotocatalytic materials have been reported, enabling greener reaction conditions and new applications of photocatalysts.

Graphical abstract: Photocatalytic polymer nanomaterials for the production of high value compounds

Article information

Article type
Minireview
Submitted
21 okt 2021
Accepted
06 jan 2022
First published
07 jan 2022
This article is Open Access
Creative Commons BY license

Nanoscale, 2022,14, 1646-1652

Photocatalytic polymer nanomaterials for the production of high value compounds

J. Heuer and C. T. J. Ferguson, Nanoscale, 2022, 14, 1646 DOI: 10.1039/D1NR06985C

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