Photocatalytic materials are the core carriers for achieving "artificial photosynthesis." Essentially, they are semiconductor materials capable of absorbing photon energy and generating active charge carriers (electrons and holes) to drive redox reactions. For researchers, the goal of developing efficient photocatalysts always focuses on broadening the light absorption range, suppressing charge recombination, and enhancing surface reaction kinetics. After decades of development, photocatalytic materials have formed a multidimensional system ranging from traditional inorganic semiconductors to novel organic framework materials.
Metal oxides and sulfides were the earliest studied and most widely applied systems. Among them, titanium dioxide (TiO₂), due to its excellent chemical stability, non-toxicity, and low cost, has become a "textbook" material in photocatalysis. However, materials such as TiO₂ and strontium titanate (SrTiO₃) have wide bandgaps and can typically only be excited by ultraviolet light, limiting their overall solar energy utilization. In contrast, metal sulfides like cadmium sulfide (CdS) exhibit excellent visible-light response, making them common choices for hydrogen evolution studies, though their photochemical corrosion must be addressed. Recently, bismuth-based materials such as bismuth vanadate (BiVO₄) have shown great potential in photocatalytic oxygen evolution and water oxidation, becoming an important component of large-scale hydrogen production projects like "Hydrogen Farms."
To scientifically evaluate the intrinsic activity of these materials under standard sunlight, laboratories typically require high-precision irradiation environments. For example, the XES-40S3-TT-200 AAA-class solar simulator provides AM 1.5G reference spectra with spectral matching, irradiation uniformity, and temporal stability meeting the highest international AAA standards. This ensures that different material batches yield highly reproducible and scientifically consistent data in quantum efficiency measurements and PEC (photoelectrochemical) characterization, providing a reliable physical benchmark for material screening.
Non-metal polymers and framework materials have become rising stars in the photocatalysis field. Graphitic carbon nitride (g-C₃N₄), as a two-dimensional non-metallic semiconductor with a suitable bandgap (~2.7 eV) and simple synthesis process, has been widely applied in water-splitting hydrogen production and CO₂ reduction. Additionally, metal-organic frameworks (MOFs) and covalent organic frameworks (COFs), with highly tunable porosity and large surface areas, provide ideal micro-platforms for reactant enrichment and directional migration of photogenerated charges. These novel materials, when coupled with MXenes (e.g., Ti₃C₂Tx) or carbon dots to form heterojunctions (such as Z-scheme or S-scheme structures), can significantly enhance charge carrier separation efficiency.
For the development of such novel multi-component materials, researchers often conduct numerous parallel experiments to optimize catalyst ratios, synthesis temperatures, or excitation wavelengths. The PCX-50C Discover multi-channel photocatalytic reaction system is designed as an efficiency tool for this purpose. It supports 9 parallel experiments and uses microcomputer chip control to ensure high consistency across all reaction sites in terms of light intensity, stirring speed, and temperature (10℃–80℃). Its multi-wavelength customization from ultraviolet to infrared helps researchers precisely identify the optimal energy range driving specific catalytic reactions, significantly shortening the transition from laboratory research to process validation.
Photocatalytic materials are evolving toward composite components, nanoscale structures, and integrated functionalities. By combining high-standard simulated light fields with precise multi-channel testing terminals, researchers can more deeply analyze the evolution of photogenerated charge carriers, promoting the industrialization of green energy technologies, from water-splitting hydrogen production to carbon dioxide mineralization.
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