Crystal facet engineering of semiconductor photocatalysts: motivations, advances and unique properties

Crystal facet engineering of semiconductors has become an important strategy for fine-tuning the physicochemical properties and thus optimizing the reactivity and selectivity of photocatalysts. In this review, we present the basic strategies for crystal facet engineering of photocatalysts and describe the recent advances in synthesizing faceted photocatalysts, in particular TiO(2) crystals. The unique properties of faceted photocatalysts are discussed in relation to anisotropic corrosion, interaction dependence of adsorbates, photocatalytic selectivity, photo-reduction and oxidation sites, and photocatalytic reaction order. Ideas for future research on crystal facet engineering for improving the performance of…

• NN
  National Natural Science Foundation of China
• MO
  Ministry of Science and Technology of the People's Republic of China