InVO₄-based photocatalysts for energy and environmental applications

Indium vanadate (InVO₄) is an up-and-coming semiconductor photocatalyst for energy/environment-related applications, and has attracted tremendous attention in the last few decades, owing to its suitable band gap, high thermal and chemical stability, and outstanding photocatalytic performance. However, the low solar-energy utilization efficiency of InVO₄ material constrains its further development, mainly due to the sluggish separation and migration kinetics of charge carriers. Fortunately, recent breakthroughs have been achieved in both enhancing the efficiency and clarifying the underlying mechanism for photocatalytic applications. Therefore, it is necessary and urgent to summarize these research efforts and breakthroughs upon InVO₄-based nanomaterials to improve the photocatalytic efficiency and speed up the commercialization. In this review, we systematically summarize the recent experimental and computational developments of the modifications of InVO₄-based photocatalysts by morphology control, element doping, and hetero-junction construction. Then, we give an overview of their promising photocatalytic applications. Finally, the perspectives on the challenges faced and potential future research directions on InVO₄-based photocatalysts is given. We aim to provide guideline for the rational design and fabrication of high efficient InVO₄-based photocatalysts for energy and environmental applications.