Inorganic Photocatalysts and Heterostructures for Solar Fuels and Environmental Redox Chemistry: Active Sites, Stability, and Scalable Architectures

Photocatalysis is increasingly enabled by advances in inorganic materials chemistry, where crystal structure, defects, surface coordination environments, and interfacial band alignment govern light absorption, charge transport, and catalytic selectivity. Rapid progress in the synthesis of inorganic semiconductors and co-catalysts coupled with heterostructure engineering, has delivered improved performance in solar-driven transformations relevant to carbon neutrality, including hydrogen evolution, CO₂ reduction, nitrogen fixation, methane upgrading, and selective oxidation processes. In parallel, inorganic photocatalysts also offer promising routes for both oxidative and reductive pathways in environmental redox chemistry.Despite significant laboratory advances, key barriers still limit translation and reliable comparison of photocatalytic systems. These include the incomplete identification of true active sites, performance losses from trap-state recombination, and the challenges of photocorrosion and phase reconstruction under realistic conditions. Furthermore, leaching of active components and a limited understanding of structure–stability relationships remain critical hurdles. Robust progress requires systematic composition, structure, property, and activity correlations supported by controlled synthesis, rigorous benchmarking, and operando/in-situ characterization of intermediates and dynamic surface states. This Research Topic will highlight inorganic chemistry-driven strategies that accelerate practical photocatalysis by connecting materials design to mechanistic understanding and durability. We welcome contributions that: (i) define and quantify active sites and charge-transfer pathways, (ii) establish how defects, facets, and interfaces govern catalytic selectivity, and (iii) address long-term stability through phase engineering, surface passivation, and robust catalyst–support integration. Submissions that combine advanced inorganic synthesis with operando spectroscopy, quantitative kinetics, multiscale modeling, and standardized testing are especially encouraged. Works addressing scalable immobilization on inorganic substrates and performance under realistic illumination or complex media are also welcome, provided the central emphasis remains on inorganic chemistry fundamentals and materials principles.Article Types: We welcome Original Research, Review, Mini Review, and Perspective articles. Topics of interest include, but are not limited to:• Materials Design: Inorganic semiconductor-based photocatalysts (oxides, nitrides, sulfides, phosphides, etc.).• Electronic Engineering: Defect engineering and dopant control for enhanced visible-light absorption.• Structural Effects: Phase control, polymorphism, and crystallinity effects on charge transport.• Surface Chemistry: Facet-dependent surface chemistry and selective adsorption of key intermediates.• Interfaces: Band alignment engineering in inorganic heterojunctions, S-scheme, and Z-scheme systems.• Advanced Co-catalysts: Single-atom catalysts (SACs), clusters, and non-noble metal co-catalysts for HER/OER.• Mechanistic Insights: Operando X-ray absorption spectroscopy to identify active sites and transient oxidation states.• Charge Dynamics: EPR and vibrational spectroscopies for radical pathways and trapped charge carriers.• Kinetics: Quantitative kinetics, isotope labeling, and mechanistic rate-law analysis.• Stability and Durability: Photocorrosion, dissolution, and phase reconstruction under realistic operating conditions.• Passivation: Surface passivation strategies and protective inorganic overlayers.• Target Transformations: CO2 photoreduction pathways, nitrogen activation (NH3 synthesis), and methane functionalization on inorganic interfaces.• Scaling and Translation: Photocatalyst immobilization on inorganic substrates (glass, ceramics, foams, and monoliths).• Standardization: Benchmarking protocols, long-term stability metrics, and reproducibility in photocatalysis. Topic editors: Prof. Dr. Mohammad Mansoob Khan, Professor Dr. Anwar Ahmad, Numpon Insin Source: https://www.frontiersin.org/research-topics/78258/inorganic-photocatalysts-and-heterostructures-for-solar-fuels-and-environmental-redox-chemistry-active-sites-stability-and-scalable-architectures