Photocatalysis has emerged as a powerful platform for addressing challenges in sustainable energy conversion, environmentally relevant chemical transformation, and bio-related applications. Recent advances in nanoscience have enabled precise control over photocatalyst composition, morphology, interfaces, and active sites, leading to improved light harvesting, charge separation, and catalytic performance. At the same time, growing emphasis on green and sustainable chemistry calls for photocatalytic systems that combine high efficiency with low-impact synthesis, earth-abundant components, durability, and realistic application potential.
This Research Topic aims to bridge Green and Sustainable Chemistry with Nanoscience by highlighting interface-engineered photocatalytic nanomaterials and systems for applications in energy, environmental chemistry, and biomedicine. We particularly welcome contributions that integrate nanoscale design, chemical innovation, and mechanistic understanding, including studies on organic and hybrid semiconductors, heterojunctions, single-atom catalytic sites, and theory- or data-guided materials design.
We welcome Original Research, Review, Mini Review, and Perspective articles on topics including, but not limited to:
o photocatalytic water splitting, CO2 reduction, nitrogen fixation, and related solar-to-chemical energy conversion
o environmentally relevant photocatalytic transformations, detoxification processes, and contaminant degradation with emphasis on catalyst design, mechanism, and sustainability
o photocatalytic nanomaterials for antibacterial, photodynamic, photothermal, and other bio-related applications where chemical design and photocatalytic function are central
o advanced photocatalysts including heterostructures, MOFs, COFs, quantum dots, carbon dots, plasmonic nanomaterials, and single-atom catalysts
o mechanistic and theoretical studies of charge-carrier dynamics, interfacial processes, reactive species generation, and surface reaction pathways
o green and sustainable approaches to photocatalyst development, including benign synthesis, renewable or waste-derived precursors, recyclable materials, and scalable fabrication
Article types and fees
This Research Topic accepts the following article types, unless otherwise specified in the Research Topic description:
- Editorial
- FAIR² Data
- FAIR² DATA Direct Submission
- Mini Review
- Original Research
- Perspective
- Review
Articles that are accepted for publication by our external editors following rigorous peer review incur a publishing fee charged to Authors, institutions, or funders.
Keywords: Photocatalysis, Energy Conversion, Environmental Remediation, Biomedical Applications, Nanomaterials, Solar Energy, Green Chemistry, Photodynamic Therapy
Important note: All contributions to this Research Topic must be within the scope of the section and journal to which they are submitted, as defined in their mission statements. Frontiers reserves the right to guide an out-of-scope manuscript to a more suitable section or journal at any stage of peer review.
