{
  "abstract": "Photocatalysis is a promising approach for solar energy conversion and environmental remediation. Despite extensive research, advances in photocatalytic materials remain limited. Many reported performance improvements rely on empirical optimization rather than a clear mechanistic understanding. Existing reviews mainly focus on material classification and performance. However, they rarely examine how synthesis strategies control structure, defects, and charge-transfer behavior in a reproducible manner. This concept-driven critical review addresses these limitations by examining how synthesis methods influence structural evolution and charge carrier dynamics in photocatalytic materials. Rather than summarizing material types and applications, the review focuses on the role of crystallinity, defect chemistry, morphology, and interfacial properties in determining photocatalytic performance. Advanced architectures, including hierarchical structures and Z- & S-scheme heterojunctions, are assessed to understand the actual origin of their enhanced photocatalytic performance. In addition, the review highlights important issues related to mechanistic validation and inconsistent performance reporting that are often overlooked in conventional reviews. This review integrates synthesis strategies, charge-transfer mechanisms, and performance evaluation approaches to provide practical strategies for designing efficient, stable, and scalable photocatalytic materials for environmental and energy-related applications.",
  "abstract_shown": true,
  "affiliations": [
    "Department of Physics, Rajdhani College, University of Delhi Delhi-110015 India",
    "Department of Chemistry, College of Science, Imam Mohammad Ibn Saud Islamic University (IMSIU) Riyadh 11623 Saudi Arabia",
    "Department of Chemistry, Pondicherry University Puducherry – 605 014 India",
    "Department of Chemistry, Rajdhani College, University of Delhi Delhi 110015 India",
    "Department of Physics, Amity School of Applied Sciences, Amity University Haryana 122413 India",
    "Department of Physics, Deenbandhu Chhotu Ram University of Science and Technology Sonipat 131039 India"
  ],
  "article_type": "review article",
  "arxiv": null,
  "author_total": 8,
  "authors": [
    {
      "affs": [
        0
      ],
      "name": "Smita Korpal"
    },
    {
      "affs": [
        1
      ],
      "name": "Mohamed A. Habib"
    },
    {
      "affs": [
        0
      ],
      "name": "Jasvir Dalal",
      "orcid": "0000-0002-3340-5317"
    },
    {
      "affs": [
        2
      ],
      "name": "Pounraj Thanasekaran",
      "orcid": "0000-0001-6437-7366"
    },
    {
      "affs": [
        3
      ],
      "name": "Pawan Kumar"
    },
    {
      "affs": [
        4
      ],
      "name": "Supreet"
    },
    {
      "affs": [
        5
      ],
      "name": "Supriya Sehrawat"
    },
    {
      "affs": [
        1
      ],
      "name": "Ahmed B. M. Ibrahim"
    }
  ],
  "bibtex": "https://research.draconitic.com/paper/cnfy0q161ep4x.bib",
  "cited_by": 1,
  "doi": "10.1039/d6na00157b",
  "fulltext_url": "https://pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/articles/PMC13636287/",
  "id": "cnfy0q161ep4x",
  "issns": [
    "2516-0230"
  ],
  "landing_url": "https://doi.org/10.1039/d6na00157b",
  "language": "en",
  "licence": "CC-BY-3.0",
  "licence_label": "CC BY 3.0",
  "licence_source": "article",
  "licence_url": "https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/3.0/",
  "metadata_licence": null,
  "native_subjects": [
    [
      "heading",
      "Chemistry"
    ],
    [
      "lcc",
      "QD1-999"
    ],
    [
      "openalex",
      "2105|Advanced Photocatalysis Techniques"
    ]
  ],
  "openalex": "W7212010301",
  "pdf_url": "https://pubs.rsc.org/na/article-pdf/doi/10.1039/D6NA00157B/13774498/d6na00157b.pdf",
  "pmcid": "PMC13636287",
  "pmid": "42835988",
  "published": "2026-09-01",
  "publisher": "Royal Society of Chemistry",
  "ris": "https://research.draconitic.com/paper/cnfy0q161ep4x.ris",
  "sources": [
    {
      "first_seen": "2026-10-31T12:21:00Z",
      "native_id": "PMC13636287",
      "source": "pmc",
      "url": "https://doi.org/10.1039/d6na00157b"
    },
    {
      "first_seen": "2026-10-31T14:21:54Z",
      "native_id": "0d9897e471094f56ad9c36c1c4859463",
      "source": "doaj",
      "url": "https://doi.org/10.1039/d6na00157b"
    }
  ],
  "subjects": [
    {
      "field": "chemistry",
      "origin": "heading:Chemistry",
      "subfield": "general"
    }
  ],
  "title": "A review on photocatalytic materials: synthesis strategies, morphology, and mechanisms",
  "title_text": "A review on photocatalytic materials: synthesis strategies, morphology, and mechanisms",
  "type": "peer-reviewed",
  "updated_at": "2026-10-31T14:21:54Z",
  "url": "https://research.draconitic.com/paper/cnfy0q161ep4x",
  "venue": "Nanoscale Advances",
  "versions": []
}