Hierarchical Nanostructures for Photocatalytic Applications

Hierarchical nanostructure-based photocatalysis has received great attention in the recent years owing to its high efficiency in treating energy- and environmental-related issues. In order to develop the best photocatalysts, different metal oxide semiconductors have been utilized to examine suitable hierarchical structures. This chapter comprises the basic concepts of hierarchical nanostructures, fabrication strategies and significant applications related to energy and environmental fields. Particularly, this chapter portrays the novel synthesis techniques such as precipitation synthesis, hydrothermal method, solvothermal method, microwave treatment and metal-organic framework-directed synthesis approach for the preparation of metal oxide-based hierarchical nanostructures. Finally, some key applications like photocatalytic water remediation, photocatalytic hydrogen fuel production and photocatalytic carbon dioxide are summarized.