Recent advances in homojunction-based photocatalysis for sustainable environmental remediation and clean energy generation

In the past decade, homojunction-based semiconductors have piqued the interest of many researchers and this research area is advancing at a rapid pace. Homojunction photocatalysts have gained tremendous popularity due to their versatility and robustness that they can be applied across multiple industrial sectors. Moreover, homojunction photocatalysts utilize green and virtually inexhaustible solar energy to trigger chemical reactions. Up till today, researchers are consistently introducing novel strategies to promote the photocatalytic performances of homojunction-based semiconductors accredited to their never-ending growth potential. In this review, synthetic approaches to prepare various homojunction photocatalysts (including TiO2-based, metal oxides, metal oxyhalides, metallates, metal chalcogenides and metal free-based) are comprehensively discussed. The effects of reaction parameters and precursors used during the fabrication process on the resulting homojunction materials are also presented in detail. Finally, latest advancements in the photocatalytic application of homojunction semiconductors are extensively reviewed, with particular emphasis on environmental- and energy-related issues.