Photocatalysis from UV/Vis to Near-Infrared Light: Towards Full Solar-Light Spectrum Activity

Owing to extensive industrial revolutions, the harvesting of sunlight for environmental remediation has attracted extensive attention and a number of potential photocatalysts have been reported. These photocatalysts were prepared according to their effectiveness under various light irradiations, that is, from UV/Vis to near-infrared (NIR) regions and finally to full solar light spectrum. This review briefly summarizes recent progress in the enhancement of photocatalytic activities of prepared photocatalysts under various light irradiations. To understand the photocatalytic process, photocatalytic mechanisms and band-structure engineering are discussed in detail in this review. Moreover, various effective photocatalysts are taken as examples of the photocatalytic process under various light irradiations. Finally, the challenges and perspectives of photocatalysis under different lights irradiations are presented.