Charge transfer in TiO-based photocatalysis: fundamental mechanisms to material strategies.

Semiconductor-based photocatalysis has attracted significant interest due to its capacity to directly exploit solar energy and generate solar fuels, including water splitting, CO reduction, pollutant degradation, and bacterial inactivation. However, achieving the maximum efficiency in photocatalytic processes remains a challenge owing to the speedy recombination of electron-hole pairs and the limited use of light. Therefore, significant endeavours have been devoted to addressing these issues. Specifically, well-designed heterojunction photocatalysts have been demonstrated to exhibit enhanced photocatalytic activity through the physical distancing of electron-hole pairs generated during the photocatalytic process. In this review, we provide a systematic discussion ranging from fundamental mechanisms to material strategies, focusing on TiO-based heterojunction photocatalysts. Current efforts are focused on developing heterojunction photocatalysts based on TiO for a variety of photocatalytic applications, and these projects are explained and assessed. Finally, we offer a concise summary of the main insights and challenges in the utilization of TiO-based heterojunction photocatalysts for photocatalysis. We expect that this review will serve as a valuable resource to improve the efficiency of TiO-based heterojunctions for energy generation and environmental remediation.