Solar-Triggered Engineered 2D-Materials for Environmental Remediation: Status and Future Insights

Modern-day society requires advanced technologies based on renewable and sustainable energy resources to face the challenges regarding environmental remediation. Solar-inspired photocatalytic applications for water purification, hydrogen and oxygen evolution, carbon dioxide reduction, nitrogen fixation, and removal of bacterial species seem to be unique solutions based on green and efficient technologies. Considering the unique electronic features and larger surface area, 2D photocatalysts have been broadly explored for the above-mentioned applications in the past few years. However, their photocatalytic potential has not been optimized yet to the adequate level of practical and commercial applications. Among many strategies available, surface and interface engineering and the hybridization of different materials have revealed pronounced potential to boost the photocatalytic potential of 2D materials. This feature review recapitulates recent advancements in engineered materials that are 2D for various photocatalysis applications for environmental remediation. Various surface and interface engineering technologies are briefly discussed, like anion-cation vacancies, pits, distortions, associated vacancies, etc., along with rules and parameters. In addition, several hybridization approaches, like 0D/2D, 1D/2D, 2D/2D, and 3D/2D hybridization, etc., are also deeply investigated. Lastly, the application of these engineered 2D materials for various photocatalytic applications, challenges, and future perspectives is extensively explored.