Photocatalysis has been invariably considered as an unselective process (especially in water) for a fairly long period of time, and the investigation on selective photocatalysis has been largely neglected. In recent years, the field of selective photocatalysis is developing rapidly and now extended to several newer applications. This review focuses on the overall strategies which can improve the selectivity of photocatalysis encompassing a wide variety of photocatalysts, and modifications thereof, as well as the related vital processes of industrial significance such as reduction and oxidation of organics, inorganics, and CO transformation. Comprehensive and successful strategies for enhancing the selectivity in photocatalysis are abridged to reinvigorate and stimulate future investigations. In addition, nonsemiconductor type photocatalysts, such as Ti-Si molecular sieves and carbon quantum dots (CQDs), are also briefly appraised in view of their special role in special selective photocatalysis, namely epoxidation reactions, among others. In the end, a summary and outlook on the challenges and future directions in the research field are included in the comprehensive review.

The review focuses on recent developments in the synthetic methodologies of COFs and their applications in the field of organocatalysis, electrocatalysis and photocatalysis. Future scope of COFs in the field are also described.

The ever-increasing interest in the Suzuki–Miyaura cross-coupling reaction (SMR) and its applications, with more than 40 years of history, has increased exponentially in the last decade, which speaks volumes about its efficiency and effectiveness; recent improvements in terms of efficient catalysts in benign media are highlighted.

Greener synthesis of lignin nanoparticles and their important biomedical applications are discussed.