Semiconductor heterojunction photocatalysts with near-infrared light antennas: A review

Photocatalysts are expected to contribute to the sustainable development of human society due to their ability of converting solar energy to chemical fuel and removing environmental contamination. In principle, photocatalytic efficiency is intimately related to the availability of sunlight, and thus it is vital to extend the light absorption range to the low-energy near-infrared (NIR) region. A great deal of effort has been devoted to exploring NIR-driven photocatalysts and consequently various light antennas have been reported, which can be coupled with wide bandgap semiconductors to form heterojunctions. In this review, recent progress in NIR-driven heterojunction photocatalysts is summarized, introducing in detail the variety and functionality of four types of light antennas including dyes, up-conversion carbon-based quantum dots, plasmonic materials and narrow bandgap semiconductors. This review emphasizes the effects of the heterojunction structure on the photocatalytic properties and summarizes the representative research results of NIR light antennas, aiming to promote the exploration of novel NIR light harvesting materials.