Facet-Engineering of Materials for Photocatalytic Application: Status and Future Prospects

Facet-engineering and interface design can optimize physicochemical properties of micro/nanomaterials at atomic level making them promising applications in a variety of fields such as catalysis, gas sorption/separation and sensing, especially in photocatalysis. In this review, we summarize the recent progress of photocatalytic reactions including water splitting, carbon dioxide (CO2) reduction, degradation and so on from the aspect of facet-engineering. The influences of low-index facets, high-index facets and mixed facets with surface hetero-junction on the photocatalytic performance are highlighted, and the challenges and opportunities of the facet -engineering for photocatalysis are discussed. It is expected that this review can provide guidance for future development of facet-engineering for efficiently photocatalytic applications.

Automated summary

Facet-engineering and interface design can optimize the physicochemical properties of micro/nanomaterials at the atomic level, making them promising applications in various fields like catalysis, gas sorption/separation, and sensing. This review summarizes recent progress in photocatalytic reactions, such as water splitting, CO2 reduction, and degradation, from the perspective of facet-engineering. The influences of different facets on photocatalytic performance are highlighted, and the challenges and opportunities of facet-engineering for photocatalysis are discussed.