Emerging strategies in the sustainable removal of antibiotics using semiconductor-based photocatalysts

• Yunus Ahmed,
• Keya Rani Dutta,
• Parul Akhtar,
• Md. Arif Hossen,
• Md. Jahangir Alam,
• Obaid A. Alharbi,
• Hamad AlMohamadi and
• Abdul Wahab Mohammad

Beilstein J. Nanotechnol. 2025, 16, 264–285, doi:10.3762/bjnano.16.21

• (antibiotics + HO• and/or O2•− → CO2 + H2O). Mechanisms of metal, nonmetal, or co-doped photocatalysts The large bandgap and high electron–hole recombination rate of traditional and single semiconductor photocatalysts limit their effectiveness under visible light, which hinders their practical application. To

• antibiotic removal by semiconductor-based photocatalysts Photocatalysis is a highly effective, affordable, and environmentally friendly approach for removing antibiotics from wastewater. Various semiconductor photocatalysts, such as TiO2, ZnO, bismuth oxyhalide (BiOX), g-C3N4, graphene oxide (GO), WO3, and

Mn-doped ZnO nanopowders prepared by sol–gel and microwave-assisted sol–gel methods and their photocatalytic properties

• Cristina Maria Vlăduț,
• Crina Anastasescu,
• Silviu Preda,
• Oana Catalina Mocioiu,
• Simona Petrescu,
• Jeanina Pandele-Cusu,
• Dana Culita,
• Veronica Bratan,
• Ioan Balint and
• Maria Zaharescu

Beilstein J. Nanotechnol. 2024, 15, 1283–1296, doi:10.3762/bjnano.15.104

• generated CO2 were measured for both catalysts. These inexpensive semiconductor materials, which proved to be light-responsive, can be further used for developing water depollution technologies based on solar light energy. Keywords: microwave-assisted synthesis; oxalic acid mineralization; semiconductor

• photocatalysts; water depollution; Introduction Over the past decades, significant research has been focused on designing and preparing nanostructures of various shapes and sizes, which exhibit unique properties and potential applications [1]. Considerable advancements have been made in synthesizing

Bismuth-based nanostructured photocatalysts for the remediation of antibiotics and organic dyes

• Akeem Adeyemi Oladipo and
• Faisal Suleiman Mustafa

Beilstein J. Nanotechnol. 2023, 14, 291–321, doi:10.3762/bjnano.14.26

• semiconductor as well as the redox levels of the substrate [11][21]. One of the main barriers preventing photocatalysis from being used in practical applications is the lack of suitable semiconductor photocatalysts. The commonly used nanometre-sized photocatalysts are metal oxides or sulfides (binary compounds

Recent trends in Bi-based nanomaterials: challenges, fabrication, enhancement techniques, and environmental applications

• Vishal Dutta,
• Ankush Chauhan,
• Ritesh Verma,
• C. Gopalkrishnan and
• Van-Huy Nguyen

Beilstein J. Nanotechnol. 2022, 13, 1316–1336, doi:10.3762/bjnano.13.109

• fabrication techniques and enhancement in Bi-based semiconductor photocatalysts. Various environmental applications, such as H2 generation and elimination of water pollutants, are also discussed in terms of semiconductor photocatalysis. Future developments will be guided by the uses, issues, and possibilities

• electric field (IEF) between the layers. This electric field allows photogenerated charge carriers to be separated and moved effectively [17][18][19][20][21]. A range of visible-light-active Bi-based photocatalysts has lately raised curiosity among semiconductor photocatalysts. Bi3+ has a higher stability

• conversion. The rapidity with which this vital subject is advancing necessitates a thorough examination of recent breakthroughs regarding Bi-based photocatalysts. Consequently, in this work, Bi-based semiconductor photocatalysts and their manufacturing methods are discussed to make use of these

Spindle-like MIL101(Fe) decorated with Bi₂O₃ nanoparticles for enhanced degradation of chlortetracycline under visible-light irradiation

• Chen-chen Hao,
• Fang-yan Chen,
• Kun Bian,
• Yu-bin Tang and
• Wei-long Shi

Beilstein J. Nanotechnol. 2022, 13, 1038–1050, doi:10.3762/bjnano.13.91

• ][21][35]. However, pure phase MIL101(Fe), like most semiconductor photocatalysts, has inherent defects, such as low conductivity and high recombination efficiency of photogenerated electron–hole pairs [26][36]. To overcome these shortcomings, several strategies have been developed. One approach is to

Tin dioxide nanomaterial-based photocatalysts for nitrogen oxide oxidation: a review

• Viet Van Pham,
• Hong-Huy Tran,
• Thao Kim Truong and
• Thi Minh Cao

Beilstein J. Nanotechnol. 2022, 13, 96–113, doi:10.3762/bjnano.13.7

• working scheme of semiconductor photocatalysts for NO oxidation. Light generates holes (h+) in the valence band (VB) and electrons (e–) in the conduction band (CB) of the photocatalytic material. Electrons at the material surface will react with oxygen molecules to form superoxide radicals (•O2

• to the reduction of O2 to •O2− [31][33] and the rapid recombination rate of photoinduced electron–hole pairs [34], the photocatalytic ability of SnO2 is less efficient than that of other semiconductor photocatalysts (Figure 2b). Despite literature relating to the unfavorable CB edge of SnO2, many

• reflectance spectroscopy (DRS) [35][36][37][38][39][40]. This promotes a new avenue for diverse analyses of semiconductor photocatalysts in addition to the traditional theories and conclusions. Previous studies have shown that the photocatalytic activity of NOx decomposition of materials in general and SnO2

Construction of a 0D/1D composite based on Au nanoparticles/CuBi₂O₄ microrods for efficient visible-light-driven photocatalytic activity

• Weilong Shi,
• Mingyang Li,
• Hongji Ren,
• Feng Guo,
• Xiliu Huang,
• Yu Shi and
• Yubin Tang

Beilstein J. Nanotechnol. 2019, 10, 1360–1367, doi:10.3762/bjnano.10.134

• photocatalysis as an advanced green technology has been widely studied and applied for the removal of organic pollutants from water [1][2][3]. The catalytic activity of many wide-bandgap (Eg) semiconductor photocatalysts is restricted to UV light radiation, which is only 5% of the solar spectrum. Hence, the

Photoactive nanoarchitectures based on clays incorporating TiO₂ and ZnO nanoparticles

• Eduardo Ruiz-Hitzky,
• Pilar Aranda,
• Marwa Akkari,
• Nithima Khaorapapong and
• Makoto Ogawa

Beilstein J. Nanotechnol. 2019, 10, 1140–1156, doi:10.3762/bjnano.10.114

• other photocatalytic reactions assisted by semiconductor photocatalysts. The use of TiO2 and ZnO NPs, particularly the anatase and wurtzite phases, as heterogeneous photocatalysts attracted great attention over the last years. Atmospheric oxygen is used as oxidant to achieve complete mineralization of

Reduced graphene oxide supported C₃N₄ nanoflakes and quantum dots as metal-free catalysts for visible light assisted CO₂ reduction

• Md Rakibuddin and
• Haekyoung Kim

Beilstein J. Nanotechnol. 2019, 10, 448–458, doi:10.3762/bjnano.10.44

• , and CH3OH is one of the sustainable ways to address the issues of both global warming and the energy crisis [1][2][3][4][5][6]. So far, a variety of semiconductor photocatalysts, such as ZnO, TiO2, WO3, and CdS have been developed for the photoreduction of CO2 [7][8][9][10]. However, poor separation

Cr(VI) remediation from aqueous environment through modified-TiO₂-mediated photocatalytic reduction

• Rashmi Acharya,
• Brundabana Naik and
• Kulamani Parida

Beilstein J. Nanotechnol. 2018, 9, 1448–1470, doi:10.3762/bjnano.9.137

• conditions, low cost, high efficiency and reusability. It uses renewable and pollution-free solar energy and produces minimal secondary waste without using toxic chemicals that follow the rules of green chemistry [59][60][61]. Various semiconductor photocatalysts such as CdS, ZnO, WO3, SnO2, and TiO2 have

• carbon dots (CDs), have been used to modify semiconductor photocatalysts in order to promote the separation of photoinduced species and extend the light absorption range, which are crucial for enhanced photoactivity [102][103][104][105]. In this section, we have discussed photoreduction of Cr(VI) over

Facile synthesis of a ZnO–BiOI p–n nano-heterojunction with excellent visible-light photocatalytic activity

• Mengyuan Zhang,
• Jiaqian Qin,
• Pengfei Yu,
• Bing Zhang,
• Mingzhen Ma,
• Xinyu Zhang and
• Riping Liu

Beilstein J. Nanotechnol. 2018, 9, 789–800, doi:10.3762/bjnano.9.72

• the most widely exploited by taking advantage of their long-term stability and environmental non-toxicity, in addition to providing a low-cost alternative to the n-type semiconductor photocatalysts [14][15][16]. However, further application of these metal oxides is usually significantly limited by the

• becoming a key focus area for the design of novel and multifunctional materials in the field of photocatalysis. To date, unremitting efforts have been devoted to improving the photocatalysis efficiency [26][27][28][29]. Furthermore, coupling n-type semiconductor photocatalysts to p-type to form p–n

High photocatalytic activity of Fe₂O₃/TiO₂ nanocomposites prepared by photodeposition for degradation of 2,4-dichlorophenoxyacetic acid

• Shu Chin Lee,
• Hendrik O. Lintang and
• Leny Yuliati

Beilstein J. Nanotechnol. 2017, 8, 915–926, doi:10.3762/bjnano.8.93

• have been widely suggested for environmental remediation under mild conditions. In the presence of only a photocatalyst and a light source of appropriate energy, the process can mineralize organic pollutants to harmless products such as carbon dioxide and water. Among the semiconductor photocatalysts

• of the best modifiers, the use of a co-catalyst has been recognized to improve the photocatalytic performance of semiconductor photocatalysts as it promotes charge separation and suppresses photocorrosion of the semiconductor photocatalyst [3][4]. One of the potential co-catalyst modifiers is iron

• (III) oxide (Fe2O3), which is nontoxic, stable, cost effective and found abundantly in the earth. It has been reported that Fe2O3 can be used to increase the photocatalytic activity or selectivity of semiconductor photocatalysts for degradation of organic pollutants [5][6][7][8][9][10][11][12][13][14

Synthesis of graphene–transition metal oxide hybrid nanoparticles and their application in various fields

• Arpita Jana,
• Elke Scheer and
• Sebastian Polarz

Beilstein J. Nanotechnol. 2017, 8, 688–714, doi:10.3762/bjnano.8.74

• synthesis, properties and applications of graphene–metal oxide composite NPs are discussed in detail [21]. The review by Yin et al. focusses on graphene–NP-based hybrid sensors [22], while Xiang et al. review the state of the art in graphene–semiconductor photocatalysts [23]. In this review, we

Role of RGO support and irradiation source on the photocatalytic activity of CdS–ZnO semiconductor nanostructures

• Suneel Kumar,
• Rahul Sharma,
• Vipul Sharma,
• Gurunarayanan Harith,
• Vaidyanathan Sivakumar and
• Venkata Krishnan

Beilstein J. Nanotechnol. 2016, 7, 1684–1697, doi:10.3762/bjnano.7.161

• photocatalytic decomposition of organic pollutants [4][5][6][7][8]. These semiconductor photocatalysts not only degrade the contaminants, but also cause their complete mineralization into CO2, H2O and mineral acids [9][10]. Thus, it is advantageous over physico-chemical methods such as flocculation–coagulation

Palladium nanoparticles anchored to anatase TiO₂ for enhanced surface plasmon resonance-stimulated, visible-light-driven photocatalytic activity

• Kah Hon Leong,
• Hong Ye Chu,
• Shaliza Ibrahim and
• Pichiah Saravanan

Beilstein J. Nanotechnol. 2015, 6, 428–437, doi:10.3762/bjnano.6.43

• the drawbacks of TiO2. This includes doping with either metallic/non-metallic species [13][14][15][16], forming heterostructures [17][18], and fine-tuning the morphology [19][20][21][22]. Alternatively, the coupling of semiconductor photocatalysts with noble metals (Au, Ag, Pd, Pt) turns out to be the

Functionalized nanostructures for enhanced photocatalytic performance under solar light

• Liejin Guo,
• Dengwei Jing,
• Maochang Liu,
• Yubin Chen,
• Shaohua Shen,
• Jinwen Shi and
• Kai Zhang

Beilstein J. Nanotechnol. 2014, 5, 994–1004, doi:10.3762/bjnano.5.113

• the semiconductors [8]. The band gap of semiconductor photocatalysts must be larger than the potential of water electrolysis to meet the energetic requirement for overall water splitting (1.23 eV, corresponding to an absorption threshold of 1000 nm). In particular, the bottom level of the conduction

• (corresponding to an absorption threshold larger than 420 nm). Efficient utilization of these huge amounts of "low energy" photons is crucial to the realization of commercial solar photocatalytic hydrogen production. To this end, band engineering is necessary to design semiconductor photocatalysts with

• photocatalysts can also facilitate the migration of photogenerated charges from bulk to surface [10]. It has been reported that porous semiconductor photocatalysts, such as TiO2 [11], Nb2O5 [12] and Ta2O5 [10], displayed much better photocatalytic properties than their bulk counterparts. Meanwhile, when

Enhancement of photocatalytic H₂ evolution of eosin Y-sensitized reduced graphene oxide through a simple photoreaction

• Weiying Zhang,
• Yuexiang Li,
• Shaoqin Peng and
• Xiang Cai

Beilstein J. Nanotechnol. 2014, 5, 801–811, doi:10.3762/bjnano.5.92

• ; graphene oxide; H2 evolution; photocatalysis; photoreduction; sp2 conjugated domains; Introduction Hydrogen is an efficient and green energy carrier. Photocatalytic water splitting into hydrogen by means of solar energy and semiconductor photocatalysts is a environmentally friendly way to produce storable

Nanostructure sensitization of transition metal oxides for visible-light photocatalysis

• Hongjun Chen and
• Lianzhou Wang

Beilstein J. Nanotechnol. 2014, 5, 696–710, doi:10.3762/bjnano.5.82

• semiconductor photocatalysts have received significant attention. Up to now, more than 100 photocatalysts have been developed [5][6]. However, most of the photocatalysts under investigation are wide-bandgap transition metal oxides and only active under ultraviolet (UV) light. To be of practical use for

A visible-light-driven composite photocatalyst of TiO₂ nanotube arrays and graphene quantum dots

• Donald K. L. Chan,
• Po Ling Cheung and
• Jimmy C. Yu

Beilstein J. Nanotechnol. 2014, 5, 689–695, doi:10.3762/bjnano.5.81

• attention due to its large specific area, high intrinsic electron mobility and good electrical conductivity [3]. As an excellent electron acceptor, graphene has been combined with semiconductor photocatalysts such as TiO2 [25], ZnO [26] and CdS [27] to enhance their photocatalytic activities. However

Effects of the preparation method on the structure and the visible-light photocatalytic activity of Ag₂CrO₄

• Difa Xu,
• Shaowen Cao,
• Jinfeng Zhang,
• Bei Cheng and
• Jiaguo Yu

Beilstein J. Nanotechnol. 2014, 5, 658–666, doi:10.3762/bjnano.5.77

• -micellar [44], hydrothermal [45], sonochemical [41], and template methods [46]. It is known that the photocatalytic activity of semiconductor photocatalysts relies heavily on their structures, which are commonly determined by the preparation methods [47][48][49]. Nevertheless, to our knowledge, there is no

• , precipitation, and hydrothermal methods are selected for preparing Ag2CrO4 photocatalysts, as they are simple, efficient, and extensively used preparation methods for semiconductor crystals. In this case, the present work can also provide a prototype for comparative study of other semiconductor photocatalysts

High activity of Ag-doped Cd_0.1Zn_0.9S photocatalyst prepared by the hydrothermal method for hydrogen production under visible-light irradiation

• Leny Yuliati,
• Melody Kimi and
• Mustaffa Shamsuddin

Beilstein J. Nanotechnol. 2014, 5, 587–595, doi:10.3762/bjnano.5.69

• the most abundant energy. The conversion of solar energy to chemical energy by photocatalytic processes, such as photocatalytic water reduction in the presence of semiconductor photocatalysts, would be an opportunity to produce clean hydrogen energy. Recently, special attention has been paid to the

Dye-sensitized Pt@TiO₂ core–shell nanostructures for the efficient photocatalytic generation of hydrogen

• Jun Fang,
• Lisha Yin,
• Shaowen Cao,
• Yusen Liao and
• Can Xue

Beilstein J. Nanotechnol. 2014, 5, 360–364, doi:10.3762/bjnano.5.41

• ], TiO2 has received extensive attention as one of the promising semiconductor photocatalysts, because of its high chemical stability, low cost and non-toxicity [2][3][4][5]. However, it suffers from the wide band gap (3.2–3.4 eV), which restricts the utilization of visible light, and the high

Preparation of NiS/ZnIn₂S₄ as a superior photocatalyst for hydrogen evolution under visible light irradiation

• Liang Wei,
• Yongjuan Chen,
• Jialin Zhao and
• Zhaohui Li

Beilstein J. Nanotechnol. 2013, 4, 949–955, doi:10.3762/bjnano.4.107

• electrodes for water splitting by Fujishima and Honda in 1972, great efforts have been devoted to the development of highly efficient semiconductor photocatalysts for hydrogen production [4]. So far, a variety of active photocatalysts for hydrogen production, including metal oxides [5][6][7][8], sulfides [9

• ] or RGO [23] into ZnIn2S4 nanostructures, the photocatalytic performance for hydrogen evolution over ZnIn2S4 have been enhanced to a certain degree. Studies on semiconductor-based photocatalysts revealed that the deposition of a suitable co-catalyst on the semiconductor photocatalysts can play

• water electrolysis [36]. Although Ni and NiO have already been used as co-catalysts for hydrogen evolution over oxide semiconductor photocatalysts, the application of NiS as co-catalyst for photocatalytic hydrogen evolution is less studied [37][38]. Only until recently, Xu et al. reported that NiS can

Structural, optical and photocatalytic properties of flower-like ZnO nanostructures prepared by a facile wet chemical method

• Sini Kuriakose,
• Neha Bhardwaj,
• Jaspal Singh,
• Biswarup Satpati and
• Satyabrata Mohapatra

Beilstein J. Nanotechnol. 2013, 4, 763–770, doi:10.3762/bjnano.4.87

• these toxic chemicals. Photocatalytic degradation, in which the organic pollutants are degraded through photocatalytic oxidation and reduction reactions in the presence of a photocatalyst, is one of the most promising and clean processes used for water purification. Nanostructured semiconductor

• photocatalysts such as ZnO and TiO2 have attracted significant attention in recent years because of their wide-spread application in environmental remediation [1][2]. These photocatalysts have a high efficiency for the degradation of toxic organic pollutants that originate from the effluents of textile and