The lithium metal battery is strongly considered to be one of the most promising candidates for high-energy-density energy storage devices in our modern and technology-based society. However, uncontrollable lithium dendrite growth induces poor cycling efficiency and severe safety concerns, dragging lithium metal batteries out of practical applications. This review presents a comprehensive overview of the lithium metal anode and its dendritic lithium growth. First, the working principles and technical challenges of a lithium metal anode are underscored. Specific attention is paid to the mechanistic understandings and quantitative models for solid electrolyte interphase (SEI) formation, lithium dendrite nucleation, and growth. On the basis of previous theoretical understanding and analysis, recently proposed strategies to suppress dendrite growth of lithium metal anode and some other metal anodes are reviewed. A section dedicated to the potential of full-cell lithium metal batteries for practical applicatio...

Toward Safe Lithium Metal Anode in Rechargeable Batteries: A Review.

A review on g-C3N4-based photocatalysts

Photoreduction of CO2 into sustainable and green solar fuels is generally believed to be an appealing solution to simultaneously overcome both environmental problems and energy crisis. The low selectivity of challenging multi-electron CO2 photoreduction reactions makes it one of the holy grails in heterogeneous photocatalysis. This Review highlights the important roles of cocatalysts in selective photocatalytic CO2 reduction into solar fuels using semiconductor catalysts. A special emphasis in this review is placed on the key role, design considerations and modification strategies of cocatalysts for CO2 photoreduction. Various cocatalysts, such as the biomimetic, metal-based, metal-free, and multifunctional ones, and their selectivity for CO2 photoreduction are summarized and discussed, along with the recent advances in this area. This Review provides useful information for the design of highly selective cocatalysts for photo(electro)reduction and electroreduction of CO2 and complements the existing reviews on various semiconductor photocatalysts.

Cocatalysts for Selective Photoreduction of CO2 into Solar Fuels.

Graphene-based materials are gaining heightened attention as novel materials for environmental applications The unique physicochemical properties of graphene, notably its exceptionally high surface area, electron mobility, thermal conductivity, and mechanical strength, can lead to novel or improved technologies to address the pressing global environmental challenges This critical review assesses the recent developments in the use of graphene-based materials as sorbent or photocatalytic materials for environmental decontamination, as building blocks for next generation water treatment and desalination membranes, and as electrode materials for contaminant monitoring or removal The most promising areas of research are highlighted, with a discussion of the main challenges that we need to overcome in order to fully realize the exceptional properties of graphene in environmental applications

Environmental applications of graphene-based nanomaterials.

In recent years, heterogeneous photocatalysis has received much research interest because of its powerful potential applications in tackling many important energy and environmental challenges at a global level in an economically sustainable manner. Due to their unique optical, electrical, and physicochemical properties, various 2D graphene nanosheets-supported semiconductor composite photocatalysts have been widely constructed and applied in different photocatalytic fields. In this review, fundamental mechanisms of heterogeneous photocatalysis, including thermodynamic and kinetics requirements, are first systematically summarized. Then, the photocatalysis-related properties of graphene and its derivatives, and design rules and synthesis methods of graphene-based composites are highlighted. Importantly, different design strategies, including doping and sensitization of semiconductors by graphene, improving electrical conductivity of graphene, increasing eloectrocatalytic active sites on graphene, strengthening interface coupling between semiconductors and graphene, fabricating micro/nano architectures, constructing multi-junction nanocomposites, enhancing photostability of semiconductors, and utilizing the synergistic effect of various modification strategies, are thoroughly summarized. The important applications including photocatalytic pollutant degradation, H2 production, and CO2 reduction are also addressed. Through reviewing the significant advances on this topic, it may provide new opportunities for designing highly efficient 2D graphene-based photocatalysts for various applications in photocatalysis and other fields, such as solar cells, thermal catalysis, separation, and purification.

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Graphene in Photocatalysis: A Review

A facile and effective hydrothermal method for the fabrication of the Ag3PO4-graphene (Ag3PO4-GR) visible light photocatalyst has been developed to improve the photocatalytic performance and stability of Ag3PO4, and also to reduce the high cost of Ag3PO4 for practical uses. The size and morphology of Ag3PO4 particles could be tailored by the electrostatically driven assembly of Ag+ on graphene oxide (GO) sheets and by the controlled growth of Ag3PO4 particles on the GO surface. The generation of Ag3PO4 and the transformation of GO to GR can be achieved simultaneously in the hydrothermal process. The improved photocatalytic activity of Ag3PO4-GR composites under visible light irradiation is attributed to high-surface-area GR sheets, enhanced absorption of organic dyes, and more efficient separation of photogenerated electron–hole pairs. The transfer of photogenerated electrons from the surface of Ag3PO4 to GR sheets also reduces the possibility of decomposing Ag+ to metallic Ag, suggesting an improved stab...

Fabrication of Ag3PO4-Graphene Composites with Highly Efficient and Stable Visible Light Photocatalytic Performance

In this work, bifunctional TiO2/Ag3PO4/graphene (GR) composites have been prepared via the combination of ion-exchange method and hydrothermal approach, and the fabrication of “pizza-like” three-phase TiO2/Ag3PO4/GR composites has been achieved through the electrostatic-driven assembly of positively-charged Ag+ on negatively-charged graphene oxide (GO) sheets, followed by the nucleation & controlled growth of Ag3PO4 and the deposition of Degussa P25 on the GO surface. Consequently, the hydrothermal treatment leads to the generation of TiO2/Ag3PO4/GR composites with well-defined structures. The as-prepared composites exhibited highly efficient visible light photocatalytic activity toward organic dye molecule degradation and showed excellent bactericidal performance. This is the first report on the production of bifunctional three-phase metal oxide–Ag3PO4–GR composite materials with improved photocatalytic and antibacterial properties. The improved photocatalytic activity is attributed to the effective separation of photoexcited electron–hole pairs and fast charge transfer between components in the composite, while its excellent bactericidal performance is believed to come from intrinsic bacterial inactivation of Ag3PO4 and photo-induced antibacterial activity of active oxygen-containing radicals generated in the irradiated system. The proper molar ratio of Ag3PO4/TiO2 and the added amount of GO in the precursor have been considered to play crucial roles in the formation of bifunctional composites with promising properties. The TiO2/Ag3PO4/GR composite significantly decreases the percentage of expensive Ag-containing material while it reveals better photocatalytic and antibacterial performance than Ag3PO4, providing new insights into the low-cost, large-scale production of Ag3PO4-based function materials for practical applications.

Yang Li

Papers

Fabrication of Ag3PO4-Graphene Composites with Highly Efficient and Stable Visible Light Photocatalytic Performance

Bifunctional TiO2/Ag3PO4/graphene composites with superior visible light photocatalytic performance and synergistic inactivation of bacteria

Graphene-spindle shaped TiO₂ mesocrystal composites: facile synthesis and enhanced visible light photocatalytic performance.

Facile synthesis of graphene oxide-enwrapped Ag3PO4 composites with highly efficient visible light photocatalytic performance

Graphene, silver phosphate and titanium dioxide dual-functional composite and method for preparing same