Photocatalysis is the process of using light to provoke chemical reactions and has been employed to improve water and air quality, maximize hydrogen gas production, destroy bacteria and viruses as well as in the creation of self-cleaning surfaces.
The August issue of the Journal of Chemical Technology and Biotechnology provides an interesting insight into the latest developments in photocatalysis. Three In Focus articles have been guest edited by Dr. Russell Binions, University College London, UK, researcher in metal oxide films and energy efficient coatings and a Dorothy Hodgkin Fellow of the Royal Society, UK.
Peter Robertson and colleagues, Robert Gordon University, Aberdeen, Scotland, highlight the importance of reactor design in maximizing catalyst illumination and optimizing mass transfer of pollutants to the catalyst surface.
Matthew J. Rosseinsky and co-workers, University of Liverpool, UK, examine how the use of platinum can improve the catalytic performance nanoparticulate tungsten trioxide for the visible light photo-oxidation of methyl orange and isopropyl alcohol.
Terry A. Egerton, Newcastle University, UK, studies photoelectrocatalysis by titanium dioxide, and finds that photoelectrocatalysis operates at faster rates than conventional photocatalysis for a wide range of pollutants but is currently limited by the efficiency of catalysts’ UV absorption behavior.
