Alternative metal oxide photocatalysts

Editors: Juan M. Coronado, Fernando Fresno, María D. Hernández-Alonso, Raquel Portela.Some metal oxide semiconductors attract attention for its better performance in certain reactions compared to TiO2, due to a more suitable band gap, higher adsorption of the reactants on their surface and to a more convenient product distribution. For instance, the interest on ZnO lays on its high quantum efficiency and for its higher electron mobility which is interesting for dye-sensitized solar cells. WO3 is a visible light-response photocatalyst and under certain conditions may present higher photoactivity than titania under solar irradiation. It is a runner up for the water splitting reaction. Recent applications of WO3 exploit its storage ability as an electron pool for metal protection and bactericidal activity in the dark.Peer Reviewe