Heterogeneous photocatalytic materials for sustainable formation of high-value chemicals in green solvents

Abstract The most investigated materials used as heterogeneous photocatalysts for the formation of high-value chemicals under mild experimental conditions are presented in this survey. Only papers reporting reactions carried out in harmless solvents such as water, the green solvent par excellence, are reported. Metal oxides have been used often, but carbon-based materials such as carbon nitride and graphene, metal nanoparticles, sulphides and selenides also have received a great attention mainly due to their good performances both in partial oxidations and reductions. The results presented indicate that an appropriate choice of the photocatalytic material is the main problem to be faced to …