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.