SEMICONDUCTOR CATALYSIS AND PHOTOCATALYSIS ON THE NANOSCALE

This book reviews the modern state of the catalysts and photocatalysis of chemical reactions by semiconductor nanoparticles and nanoheterostructures with the main accent on the light-driven processes. A background and principles of the semiconductor nanophotocatalysis - a new trend in photochemistry dealing with the photocatalytic redox-reactions with the participation of semiconductor nanoparticles - is discussed. A general character of the fundamental principles of the nanophotocatalysts and the 'classical' photocatalysis by microcrystalline semiconductors is combined with prominent differences originating from the spatial exciton confinement typical for ultra-small semiconductor nanoparticles.