Design and Fabrication of Carbon Dots/Semiconductor Photocatalysts with Superior Photocatalytic Activity: A Review

Abstract

Semiconductor photocatalysts are being recognized as innovative materials for enhancing water quality and environmental optimization. Nevertheless, the limited activity and quick electron–hole pair recombination under visible light have hindered their widespread use in photocatalysis. Nanomaterials based on carbon dots (CDs) show promising applications due to their excellent light absorption ability. Notably, CDs/semiconductor photocatalysts have emerged as advanced photocatalytic materials. This review summarizes strategies to improve the performance of conventional semiconductor photocatalysts by incorporating CDs. These include TiO2, g-C3N4, Bi-based, Cu2O, and ZnO photocatalysts. Various effective synthesis routes for composites are discussed, including morphology optimization, heteroatom doping, heterojunction building, and creation of polymeric hybrids. Ultimately, the challenges and future prospects of CDs/semiconductor photocatalysts are discussed.