Defect in photocatalysts for efficient NO removal: from reaction mechanism to rational design.

The environmental pollution caused by NO has gained global visibility. Currently, photocatalytic removal of ppb-level NO is one of the relatively economical and effective methods, with minimal impact on the environment. Numerous studies have proved that defect engineering can change the surface physical/chemical properties of photocatalysts and become a common approach to improve the catalytic performance in the application of NO removal. However, there is currently a lack of corresponding reviews to understand the latest developments in this field. This paper reviews the reaction mechanism of defects enhancement performance in the photocatalytic removal of NO, as well as the contributions of different types of defects in this process, and further discusses the effect of defects from the aspects such as quantification, localization and stability. Finally, the difficulties and challenges of defects for NO removal are debated, which is expected to inspire rational engineering of defects in photocatalysts toward NO removal.