A review of nanodiamond-based photocatalysts for solar energy conversion

Photocatalysis is an important technology for using solar energy to produce hydrogen, convert CO₂ to synthetic fuels, and decrease persistent pollutant. However, conventional photocatalysts have limitations, including poor spectral absorption, inefficient charge separation, and structural instability under operational stress, which demand innovative durable materials with tailored electronic properties. Nanodiamond (ND) has recently been recognized as a suitable material because of its exceptional chemical stability, superior charge carrier mobility, and possible surface functionalization. While its intrinsic wide bandgap limits its response to visible-light, different methods have been demonstrated to activate its catalytic potential. Here, several emerging strategies for improving the catalytic performance of ND-based photocatalytic systems are summarized, including surface functionalization, plasmonic hybridization, heteroatom doping, and heterostructure design. And the structure-activity relationship and design principle are proposed to improve the light harvesting, charge transport, and redox kinetics for constructing high efficiency ND-based photocatalysts used in the renewable energy and environmental industries.