Mesocrystals for Photocatalysis: A Review of Functional Modification

Mesocrystal is originally a term for describing the superstructure of nanocrystals with common crystallographic orientation. Mesocrystal photocatalysts have many special properties, such as high specific surface area, high crystallinity, availability of pores, strong electrical conductivity, and thermal stability. It is predicted that the superstructure of mesocrystal photocatalysts plays an important role in improving the performance of materials in many applications, such as photocatalysis, Li-ion batteries, sensing, solar‐energy conversion, and supercapacitors. In the past, the majority of attention was concentrated on the mechanism of mesocrystal formation, properties, and applications. Currently, remarkable progress is being described with a particular focus on mesocrystal photocatalysts. However, so far there is no review report on effective functional modifications of mesocrystal photocatalysts. The mini-review focuses on different functional modifications (including metal, non-metal doping, and carbon-based mesocrystal) photocatalytic application, and formation mechanisms of mesocrystal photocatalysts.