Revisiting the crucial roles of oxygen vacancies in photo/electro-catalytic degradation of aqueous organic pollutants
Chunyan Zeng, Lok Sze Tsui, Frank Leung‐Yuk Lam, Ting Wu, Alex C.K. Yip
Abstract
This review offers an overview of the pivotal role of oxygen vacancies in advanced oxidation technologies used to remove organic pollutants from water, including photocatalytic, electrocatalytic and photoelectrocatalytic oxidation processes. The fabrication of oxygen vacancies in various catalytic materials as well as the benefits and challenges of oxygen vacancy engineering are addressed in detail. This review provides collective views from various published research reports. The underlying principles and rationale for the roles of oxygen vacancies in the treatment of organic water pollutants are critically assessed, which is the key to designing efficient catalysts and catalytic systems for water purification.