A historical introduction to photocatalysis

Abstract

As early as in 1911, the term photocatalysis appeared in several research communications, but for more than 50 years it was as much a scientific curiosity and, frequently, an annoyance. In the 1970s the interest in this technology boosted due to the pioneering works of Fujishima and Honda (1972) among others, but also as a consequence of the increasing concern of the society about energy supply and the environmental issues.