Basics of Photocatalysis and Different Strategy for Enhancing the Photocatalytic Efficiency

Abstract

This review reports on the basic mechanism of photocatalysis and different ways of enhancing the photocatalytic efficiency. It further examines enhancement of the photocatalytic property using the different combinations of semiconductor oxides (TiO₂, ZnO, stratified WO₃/TiO₂, WO₃/ZnO). TiO₂, ZnO semiconductors have been widely used from the recent few decades in the photocatalytic degradation process, but the main drawback of these materials is able to utilize the UV part of the solar spectrum. So many researchers tried to utilize a major portion of the solar spectrum using different strategies such as doping, applying external bias, stratified films, etc. The main aim of this review is providing different strategies for enhancing the photocatalytic efficiency.