Atomic engineering of copper sites for efficient photocatalysis

Abstract

The development of high-performance photocatalytic materials is urgently needed to overcome the efficiency limitations of conventional photocatalysis. Copper-based single-atom catalysts (Cu SACs) have emerged as a promising class of materials due to their unique electronic structures, maximized atomic utilization, and highly exposed active sites. This review comprehensively summarizes recent advances in the design, synthesis, and application of Cu SACs in photocatalysis. Key aspects include innovative synthetic strategies for precise atomic dispersion, performance enhancement through coordination modulation, defect engineering, and multi-site synergy, as well as their applications in photocatalytic hydrogen evolution, CO2 reduction, ammonia synthesis, H2O2 production, and pollutant degradation. Special emphasis is placed on elucidating the structure-activity relationships and underlying mechanisms governing charge dynamics and surface reactions. Finally, future perspectives on operando characterization and computational-guided design for next-generation SACs are discussed.

Article information

Article type
Review Article
Submitted
20 Jul 2025
Accepted
25 Aug 2025
First published
29 Aug 2025

Nanoscale, 2025, Accepted Manuscript

Atomic engineering of copper sites for efficient photocatalysis

C. Deng, S. Wang, W. Jiang and J. Di, Nanoscale, 2025, Accepted Manuscript , DOI: 10.1039/D5NR03064A

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