Recent advances in modulating charge separation of α-Fe2O3-based photocatalysts

Hematite (α-Fe2O3) has been identified as a promising visible-light photocatalyst for environmental remediation and solar fuel production. To effectively improve the photocatalytic performance of α-Fe2O3, various strategies have been recently developed to address with the key issues of its sluggish charge separation. In this review, a special emphasis towards the charge modulation strategies, is discussed, including (i) modulating photoelectrons of α-Fe2O3 by enhancing O2 activation via surface modification, (ii) coupling wide bandgap oxides with α-Fe2O3 to prolong the lifetime of high-level-energy electrons, and (iii) constructing Z-scheme heterojunction nanocomposites to enhance the charge separation. Finally, we summarized these strategies and provided outlooks of the development of α-Fe2O3-based photocatalysts. This review aims to provide effective approaches for the design and preparation of high-efficiency α-Fe2O3-based photocatalysts for environmental and energy applications.