J. Mater. Sci. Technol. ›› 2025, Vol. 239: 195-233.DOI: 10.1016/j.jmst.2025.02.061

• Review Article • Previous Articles     Next Articles

Role of transmission electron microscopy in heterogeneous structural nanomaterials for photocatalytic applications

Chunqiang Zhuanga,*, Can Zhanga, Dong Zhangb, Yihong Zhanga, Zizhao Liua, Peng Shana, Wei Zhanga, Peng Xuc,*, Shijie Lid,*   

  1. aInstitute of Microstructure and Property of Advanced Materials, College of Material Science and Engineering, Beijing University of Technology, Beijing 100124, China;
    bNew Energy Institute of Shenyang Institute of Engineering, Shenyang 110136, China;
    cNational Center for Nanoscience and Technology, Beijing 100190, China;
    dNational Engineering Research Center for Marine Aquaculture, College of Marine Science and Technology, Zhejiang Ocean University, Zhoushan 316022, China
  • Received:2024-12-22 Revised:2025-02-03 Accepted:2025-02-23 Published:2025-12-20 Online:2025-05-01
  • Contact: *E-mail addresses: chunqiang.zhuang@bjut.edu.cn (C. Zhuang), xup@nanoctr.cn (P. Xu), lishijie@zjou.edu.cn (S. Li)

Abstract: The photocatalytic activity of a photocatalyst is significantly influenced by its microstructure. Therefore, it is crucial to understand and characterize the microstructure. Transmission electron microscopy (TEM) has been an indispensable tool that provides direct visualization of the microstructure at the atomic level. Despite numerous reviews on photocatalytic processes, there has been a lack of comprehensive summaries that focus on the critical role of TEM in photocatalytic applications. This review aims to fill this gap by highlighting the significant contributions of TEM techniques in understanding key photocatalytic processes, including light absorption, charge separation and transfer, and surface reaction. In addition, this review discusses in-situ TEM techniques for observing photocatalytic reactions and explores the challenges and future perspectives related to the application of TEM in photocatalysis.

Key words: Photocatalytic reaction, Photocatalyst design, Transmission electron microscopy, In-situ transmission electron microscopy