Dynamic Self-Adaptive Behavior of Photocatalysts

Harnessing solar energy directly through photocatalysis is an effective approach to addressing the energy crisis and environmental pollution. This green technology enables both sustainable energy production and the removal of environmental contaminants simultaneously. Heterojunction photocatalysts demonstrate superior performance by enhancing light utilization efficiency and inhibiting the recombination of photogenerated electron-hole pairs. The reconstruction of active sites in heterojunction photocatalysts, encompassing changes in their valence states and coordination environments, has been extensively studied. However, the unique structural self-adaptive phenomenon displayed by heterojunction photocatalysts that incorporate flexible components during the photocatalysis process has not been extensively investigated. Indeed, this intriguing self-adaptive behavior may be closely linked to their photocatalytic properties. Extensive studies indicate that this structural self-adaptation is predominantly driven by flexible materials, with flexible metal-organic frameworks (MOFs) finding particularly broad application. Based on this understanding, we briefly summarize and offer insights into the structural design and fundamental principles of such photocatalytic heterojunction catalysts while also providing an outlook for future research.