Graphene quantum dots (GQDs) and its derivatives for multifarious photocatalysis and photoelectrocatalysis

Abstract

Graphene quantum dots (GQDs), as a unique category of zero-dimensional (0D) carbon nanomaterial, has ignited tremendous interest in the past few years owing to its gorgeous electronic and physicochemical properties in conjunction with quantum-confinement and edge effects. In this review article, we predominantly focus on the recent developments of GQDs-semiconductor composited systems for heterogeneous photocatalysis and photoelectrocatalysis under ambient conditions including non-selective pollutant degradation, selective organic transformation, hydrogen or oxygen production, CO2 reduction, and photoelectrochemical (PEC) water splitting. It is anticipated that our current review article will provide enriched information on the promising applications of GQDs and its derivatives and simultaneously, offer new insights for exploring a large variety of GQDs-semiconductor composited systems for advanced solar energy conversion.