Polar materials for photocatalytic applications: A critical review

The critical challenges of the energy crisis and environmental degradation promote innovative approaches for energy conversion. Semiconductor-based photocatalytic technology, which transforms solar energy into chemical energy, emerges as a promising solution. However, the practical application of this technology faces several challenges, such as the rapid recombination of photogenerated electrons and holes, significantly limiting photocatalytic efficiency. In this review, we provide a detailed discussion, an insightful perspective, and a critical evaluation of recent advances, challenges, and opportunities in the field of photocatalysis using polar materials. We present a comprehensive examination of the photocatalytic mechanisms, activity, and diverse applications of photocatalysts based on polar materials. We also briefly discuss the engineering design of polar photocatalysis in experiments and its scalability in the industry. This review outlines future trends and potential breakthroughs in the photocatalytic field using polar materials, projecting their transformative impact on environmental chemistry and energy engineering. We review the advances, challenges, and opportunities of polar materials with the intrinsic polarization and internal electric field, broadening the light absorption spectrum, facilitating the separation of photogenerated electron-hole pairs, and enhancing the photocatalytic performance. They hold promise for various photocatalytic applications, such as water splitting, CO2 reduction, H2O2 generation, and pollutant degradation. However, some technological bottlenecks, such as scalability, cost-effectiveness, and the synthesis of materials under industrial conditions, hinder the translation of these photocatalysts from the lab to industry at the current stage. image