Vol.:(0123456789)
Topics in Current Chemistry (2020) 378:6
https://doi.org/10.1007/s41061-019-0270-3
1 3
REVIEW
Ferrite Materials for Photoassisted Environmental and Solar
Fuels Applications
Patricia Garcia‑Muñoz
1
· Fernando Fresno
2
· Víctor A. de la Peña O’Shea
2
·
Nicolas Keller
1
Received: 7 September 2019 / Accepted: 21 November 2019 / Published online: 16 December 2019
© Springer Nature Switzerland AG 2019
Abstract
Ferrites are a large class of oxides containing Fe
3+
and at least another metal cation that have been investigated for and applied to a wide variety of fields ranging
from mature technologies like circuitry, permanent magnets, magnetic recording and
microwave devices to the most recent developments in areas like bioimaging, gas
sensing and photocatalysis. In the last respect, although ferrites have been less studied than other types of semiconductors, they present interesting properties such as
visible light absorption, tuneable optoelectronic properties and high chemical and
photochemical stability. The versatility of their chemical composition and of their
crystallographic structure opened a playground for developing new catalysts with
enhanced efficiency. This article reviews the recent development of the application
of ferrites to photoassisted processes for environmental remediation and for the synthesis of solar fuels. Applications in the photocatalytic degradation of pollutants in
water and air, photo-Fenton, and solar fuels production, via photocatalytic and photoelectrochemical water splitting and CO 2 reduction, are reviewed paying special
attention to the relationships between the physico-chemical characteristics of the
ferrite materials and their photoactivated performance.
Keywords Ferrite · Photocatalyst · Heterojunction · Water treatment · Air
detoxification · Solar fuels
* Patricia Garcia-Muñoz
garciamunoz@unistra.fr
1
Institut de Chimie et Procédés pour l’Energie, l’Environnement et la Santé (ICPEES), CNRS/
University of Strasbourg, 25 rue Becquerel, Strasbourg, France
2
Photoactivated Processes Unit, IMDEA Energy Institute, Móstoles, 28935 Madrid, Spain
107
Reprinted from the journal
Chapter 4 was originally published as Garcia‑Muñoz, P., Fresno, F., de la Peña O’Shea, V. A. & Keller, N.
Topics in Current Chemistry (2020) 378: 6. https://doi.org/10.1007/s41061-019-0270-3.
Topics in Current Chemistry (2020) 378:6
https://doi.org/10.1007/s41061-019-0270-3
1 3
REVIEW
Ferrite Materials for Photoassisted Environmental and Solar
Fuels Applications
Patricia Garcia‑Muñoz
1
· Fernando Fresno
2
· Víctor A. de la Peña O’Shea
2
·
Nicolas Keller
1
Received: 7 September 2019 / Accepted: 21 November 2019 / Published online: 16 December 2019
© Springer Nature Switzerland AG 2019
Abstract
Ferrites are a large class of oxides containing Fe
3+
and at least another metal cation that have been investigated for and applied to a wide variety of fields ranging
from mature technologies like circuitry, permanent magnets, magnetic recording and
microwave devices to the most recent developments in areas like bioimaging, gas
sensing and photocatalysis. In the last respect, although ferrites have been less studied than other types of semiconductors, they present interesting properties such as
visible light absorption, tuneable optoelectronic properties and high chemical and
photochemical stability. The versatility of their chemical composition and of their
crystallographic structure opened a playground for developing new catalysts with
enhanced efficiency. This article reviews the recent development of the application
of ferrites to photoassisted processes for environmental remediation and for the synthesis of solar fuels. Applications in the photocatalytic degradation of pollutants in
water and air, photo-Fenton, and solar fuels production, via photocatalytic and photoelectrochemical water splitting and CO 2 reduction, are reviewed paying special
attention to the relationships between the physico-chemical characteristics of the
ferrite materials and their photoactivated performance.
Keywords Ferrite · Photocatalyst · Heterojunction · Water treatment · Air
detoxification · Solar fuels
* Patricia Garcia-Muñoz
garciamunoz@unistra.fr
1
Institut de Chimie et Procédés pour l’Energie, l’Environnement et la Santé (ICPEES), CNRS/
University of Strasbourg, 25 rue Becquerel, Strasbourg, France
2
Photoactivated Processes Unit, IMDEA Energy Institute, Móstoles, 28935 Madrid, Spain
107
Reprinted from the journal
Chapter 4 was originally published as Garcia‑Muñoz, P., Fresno, F., de la Peña O’Shea, V. A. & Keller, N.
Topics in Current Chemistry (2020) 378: 6. https://doi.org/10.1007/s41061-019-0270-3.