Van der Waals Heterostructures in Photocatalytic Energy Conversion

Two-dimensional (2D) materials have received a considerable interest in photocatalysis owing to their unique electrochemical and opto-electronic properties. These materials have been used in various catalytic energy conversion reactions such as water splitting, oxygen reduction reaction, nitrogen reduction reaction, and CO ₂ reduction while exhibiting unique catalytic properties. Moreover, 2D materials can be integrated with other 2D materials or 0D, 1D, and 3D materials to form heterostructure to synergistically enhance their electrochemical and optoelectronic properties. Here, we highlight the important characteristics of 2D materials heterostructures and discuss their fabrication methods and applications in photocatalytic redox reactions. We also provide our perspective on future research directions of these heterostructures and the challenges in the implementation of practical applications.