A Review on the Bioinspired Photocatalysts and Photocatalytic Systems

Abstract

After long‐term evolution, organisms in nature have achieved optimal structure, organization, and function to adapt to the environment. Some ingenious biological structures have highly efficient solar light absorption, matter transmission, and natural photocatalytic properties, such as leaves, sunflowers, seaweeds, algae, bacteria. Artificial photocatalysis, which involves CO2 reduction and water splitting to obtain green renewable energy or oxygen, is of great significance for solving the problem of energy shortages, achieving carbon neutrality, and building a sustainable society. In order to improve the efficiency of artificial photocatalysis, it is necessary to develop highly efficient photocatalysts by expanding ideas and drawing innovative inspiration from nature. Artificially constructed photocatalysts with bionic structures achieved by simulating natural organisms have gradually become an exciting research field with great potential in recent years. This article reviews bioinspired photocatalysts and photocatalytic systems from the aspects of principle, composition, construction method, and the achieved performance. It is expected that this review will help researchers develop a systematic and in‐depth understanding for the biomimetic design of photocatalysts and photocatalytic systems.

Morphology Genetic Metal–Organic Frameworks-Based Biocomposites for Efficient Photocatalytic Hydrogen Evolution

“…30 Especially, the honeycomb-like structure can extend the light path by refraction according to the slow-photon effect. 30,61 That is to say, this structure on the BW have an advantage of total internal reflection due to its high refractive index. When the light was shone on one side of the wall of the honeycomblike structure, it is reflected back into another side instead of crossing.…”

“…The BW has no activity for hydrogen evolution, but its components such as melanin and the honeycomb-like structure help the materials capture a wider and stronger light absorption band from the ultraviolet to near-infrared region . Especially, the honeycomb-like structure can extend the light path by refraction according to the slow-photon effect. , That is to say, this structure on the BW have an advantage of total internal reflection due to its high refractive index. When the light was shone on one side of the wall of the honeycomb-like structure, it is reflected back into another side instead of crossing.…”

A review of the preparation and photocatalytic hydrogen evolution of core–shell Cu2O composites

“…When sunlight irradiates the surface of a semiconductor, it excites the semiconductor and generates photogenerated electrons and holes, at which point the system is in a nonequilibrium state, which is unstable and prone to compounding between photogenerated carriers, releasing the absorbed energy as light or heat and bringing the system into equilibrium. 28,29 This process can cause the photocatalytic reaction to be inhibited. Therefore, to improve the efficiency of Cu 2 O photocatalytic hydrogen production, the photogenerated electrons and holes need to be separated effectively.…”

A biomimetic all-inorganic photocatalyst for the artificial photosynthesis of hydrogen peroxide

“…In this study, an all-inorganic hybrid photocatalyst mimicking natural photosynthesis 21 has been designed to enhance the photocatalytic activity. The photocatalyst has a unit structure consisting of a single Au NP (∼50 nm) and an interconnected cluster (>∼100 nm) of many antimony chloride-surface modified SnO 2 nanocrystals (NCs, ∼30 nm) (Au@SnO 2 –Sb( iii )).…”