Journal of Photochemistry and Photobiology C: Photochemistry Reviews最新文献

{"title":"Photocatalytic CO2 reduction with a semiconductor/metal complex hybrid system: Toward visible light and water utilization","authors":"Takeshi Morikawa ,&nbsp;Tomiko M. Suzuki ,&nbsp;Yuichi Yamaguchi ,&nbsp;Akihiko Kudo","doi":"10.1016/j.jphotochemrev.2025.100735","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.jphotochemrev.2025.100735","url":null,"abstract":"<div><div>Photocatalytic artificial photosynthesis mimics its natural counterpart by converting solar energy into chemical energy, producing organic molecules from CO₂ and H₂O. In particular, photocatalytic CO₂ reduction with water as the electron donor offers a clean alternative to fossil-fuel-based processes and considered as a promising strategy toward carbon neutrality and environmental sustainability. For example, the conversion of CO₂ and H₂O to HCOOH and O₂ is thermodynamically uphill, with a standard Gibbs free-energy change of ΔG° ∼ + 250 kJ mol⁻¹. Early related studies mainly examined semiconductors or molecular metal complexes as standalone photocatalysts. More recently, increasing attention has focused on semiconductor/metal complex hybrid systems, which couple the strong water-oxidation activity and robustness of semiconductors with the high CO₂ reduction selectivity of metal complexes. Although particulate photocatalytic systems that use water as both the electron and proton source were once considered difficult to realize, recent studies have demonstrated highly selective C₁-product formation at appreciable rates by suppressing competing H₂ evolution. This minireview highlights recent advances in semiconductor/metal complex hybrid photocatalysts for CO₂ reduction, covering both half-reactions that use sacrificial electron donors and fully uphill overall reactions that use water.</div></div>","PeriodicalId":376,"journal":{"name":"Journal of Photochemistry and Photobiology C: Photochemistry Reviews","volume":"66 ","pages":"Article 100735"},"PeriodicalIF":13.1,"publicationDate":"2026-03-01","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"145975620","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":1,"RegionCategory":"化学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"Photo-induced reactive oxygen species for selective oxidation of plastics and biomass","authors":"Jing Wang ,&nbsp;Wenpeng Li ,&nbsp;Yan Yan ,&nbsp;Mingkai Liu ,&nbsp;Bin Liu ,&nbsp;Ohno Teruhisa ,&nbsp;Zhenyuan Teng","doi":"10.1016/j.jphotochemrev.2026.100737","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.jphotochemrev.2026.100737","url":null,"abstract":"<div><div>Photo-induced reactive oxygen species (ROS) are central to the selective oxidation of plastics and biomass, enabling efficient activation of inert C–H and C–C bonds under mild conditions—a crucial step toward bond cleavage and targeted functionalization. However, achieving precise control over the type, concentration, and spatial distribution of ROS remains challenging, especially for complex multicomponent substrates, as intermediate pathways depend critically on both ROS species and photocatalyst structure. This review systematically summarizes the formation and transformation mechanisms of radical and non-radical ROS and examines the direct role of photogenerated charges in oxidation. It demonstrates how rational catalyst design—through modulation of semiconductor properties, surface/interface structures, co-catalysts, and reaction conditions—can regulate ROS generation, evolution, and reactivity. Representative examples in plastic and biomass oxidation are discussed to illustrate how ROS and charge carriers drive selective depolymerization, monomer recovery, and functionalization via distinct mechanisms. Finally, this review highlights ongoing challenges in controlling ROS dynamics and elucidating their mechanistic roles, underscoring the need to correlate ROS behavior with reaction selectivity and product distribution.</div></div>","PeriodicalId":376,"journal":{"name":"Journal of Photochemistry and Photobiology C: Photochemistry Reviews","volume":"66 ","pages":"Article 100737"},"PeriodicalIF":13.1,"publicationDate":"2026-03-01","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"146035900","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":1,"RegionCategory":"化学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"Multifunctional boron-dipyrromethene platforms for disease diagnosis and therapy: Advances in bioimaging, and phototherapeutics","authors":"Zhen Yang ,&nbsp;Yanchao Liu ,&nbsp;Zhigang Xie ,&nbsp;Min Zheng","doi":"10.1016/j.jphotochemrev.2026.100739","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.jphotochemrev.2026.100739","url":null,"abstract":"<div><div>Boron-dipyrromethene (BODIPY) dyes have emerged as transformative agents in precision biomedicine due to their exceptional photophysical properties including high molar absorption coefficients, tunable near-infrared (NIR) absorption/emission, superior photostability, and biocompatibility. This review comprehensively explores recent advances in BODIPY-based systems for diagnostic and therapeutic applications. We highlight their roles in <em>in vitro</em> and <em>in vivo</em> bioimaging (e.g., aldehyde detection, cytokine signaling visualization, super-resolution lysosomal tracking) and phototherapy (photodynamic therapy (PDT) and photothermal therapy (PTT)). Strategic molecular engineering enhances BODIPY performance, such as heavy-atom-free designs for improved intersystem crossing, J-aggregation for NIR photothermal conversion, and oxygen-independent Type I PDT for hypoxic tumors. Combinatorial approaches integrating PDT/PTT with chemotherapy or immunotherapy further amplify therapeutic efficacy. Despite promising outcomes, challenges in spectral optimization, <em>in vivo</em> targeting specificity, pharmacokinetics, and clinical translation persist. Future directions include low-power NIR-II activatable probes, stimuli-responsive nanoplatforms, and scalable biocompatible formulations. BODIPY-based theranostics hold immense potential to revolutionize precision oncology and antimicrobial therapy.</div></div>","PeriodicalId":376,"journal":{"name":"Journal of Photochemistry and Photobiology C: Photochemistry Reviews","volume":"66 ","pages":"Article 100739"},"PeriodicalIF":13.1,"publicationDate":"2026-03-01","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"146185189","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":1,"RegionCategory":"化学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"Photon management in lanthanide hybrid materials: Upconversion and quantum cutting for broadband light harvesting","authors":"Ayumi Ishii,&nbsp;Shuhei Matsumura,&nbsp;Mayu Taima,&nbsp;Tasuku Yamanaka,&nbsp;Ryota Komatsuzaki","doi":"10.1016/j.jphotochemrev.2026.100738","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.jphotochemrev.2026.100738","url":null,"abstract":"<div><div>The near-infrared (NIR) spectral region plays a pivotal role in modern photonics and optoelectronics, yet most conventional semiconductors and molecular materials fail to utilize low-energy photons efficiently. Lanthanide (Ln)-based luminescent systems offer a unique means to overcome this limitation through two complementary photon conversion mechanisms—downconversion (or quantum cutting, QC) and upconversion (UC). In QC processes, a single high-energy photon is converted into two or more lower-energy photons via cooperative energy transfer between neighboring Ln ions (Ln³⁺), leading to photon multiplication and enhanced light-harvesting efficiency. Recent advances in QC-active materials, including Gd³⁺, Tb³⁺, and Yb³⁺-codoped oxides and fluorides, as well as emerging Ln³⁺-doped perovskite hosts, have demonstrated efficient UV/visible-to-NIR photon conversion, expanding the spectral coverage for photovoltaic and light-emitting device applications. In contrast, UC processes enable the stepwise absorption of multiple NIR photons to generate higher-energy visible or UV emission. To address the intrinsically weak absorption cross-sections of Ln ions, molecularly sensitized hybrid systems have been developed, where organic dyes act as broadband NIR antennae to mediate efficient energy transfer to Ln³⁺ centers. Additionally, core-shell and inorganic-passivated nanostructures have been engineered to suppress nonradiative quenching by controlling lattice phonons and surface states. The integration of Ln³⁺-based UC materials with halide perovskites further enables synergistic photon management, allowing sub-bandgap NIR photons to be utilized in solar cells and photodetectors. These developments illustrate a unified strategy for bidirectional photon conversion through QC and UV, paving the way toward next-generation energy-harvesting and photonic devices.</div></div>","PeriodicalId":376,"journal":{"name":"Journal of Photochemistry and Photobiology C: Photochemistry Reviews","volume":"66 ","pages":"Article 100738"},"PeriodicalIF":13.1,"publicationDate":"2026-03-01","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"146185188","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":1,"RegionCategory":"化学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"Photothermal nanomaterials for biomedical therapy and diagnosis: From photothermal conversion mechanisms to clinical translation","authors":"Bowen Shi,&nbsp;Jiao Hua,&nbsp;Chaobo Huang,&nbsp;Ranhua Xiong,&nbsp;Dongyang Miao","doi":"10.1016/j.jphotochemrev.2026.100736","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.jphotochemrev.2026.100736","url":null,"abstract":"<div><div>Photothermal conversion is a fundamental yet rapidly evolving energy transformation processes that has consistently attracted significant research interest. Recent advances in photothermal nanomaterials have demonstrated their remarkable potential for biomedical applications. This review summarizes recent advances in photothermal nanomaterials, focusing on fundamental photothermal conversion mechanisms and representative material systems associated with each mechanism. Recent progress in applying photothermal materials for disease therapy and diagnosis is also systematically discussed. In therapy, strategies involving photothermal materials for tumor ablation, antibacterial therapy, and immunotherapy are described in detail. In diagnosis, photothermal properties are leveraged for multimodal bioimaging and highly sensitive detection of disease biomarkers. More recently, integrated strategies for multimodal diagnosis and therapy, along with their translational applications, have emerged as key research focuses. Finally, this review outlines key challenges and future prospects of photothermal nanomaterials in preclinical development. This review aims to advance next-generation photothermal nanomaterials and facilitate clinical translation of precision therapy and diagnosis to meet the growing demand for efficient, safe, and personalized healthcare.</div></div>","PeriodicalId":376,"journal":{"name":"Journal of Photochemistry and Photobiology C: Photochemistry Reviews","volume":"66 ","pages":"Article 100736"},"PeriodicalIF":13.1,"publicationDate":"2026-03-01","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"145950419","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":1,"RegionCategory":"化学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"Circularly polarized light generated from electron spin, and its depolarization used for cancer detection","authors":"Nozomi Nishizawa","doi":"10.1016/j.jphotochemrev.2026.100742","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.jphotochemrev.2026.100742","url":null,"abstract":"<div><div>This paper reviews state-of-the-art spin-photonic devices, which are among the potential candidates, focusing on the development of circularly polarized light (CPL) devices and CPL applications. Initially, it introduces the differences in approaches between chemistry and physics for CPL emission research. Then, it explains the CPL emission mechanism of spin-polarized light-emitting diodes (Spin-LEDs), which are representative of spin-photonic devices. Subsequently, it discusses the functions of the lateral-type spin-LEDs, which have overcome the major challenge of achieving fully polarized CPL emission at room temperature, as well as helicity controllability and CPL detection. Finally, it introduces various proposed applications of CPL.</div></div>","PeriodicalId":376,"journal":{"name":"Journal of Photochemistry and Photobiology C: Photochemistry Reviews","volume":"66 ","pages":"Article 100742"},"PeriodicalIF":13.1,"publicationDate":"2026-03-01","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"147420378","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":1,"RegionCategory":"化学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"Photon upconversion based on triplet–triplet annihilation using thermally activated delayed fluorescence sensitizers","authors":"Masanori Uji,&nbsp;Nobuhiro Yanai","doi":"10.1016/j.jphotochemrev.2026.100741","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.jphotochemrev.2026.100741","url":null,"abstract":"<div><div>Photon upconversion based on triplet–triplet annihilation (TTA-UC) enables the conversion of low-energy photons into higher-energy ones, even under low-intensity, incoherent light. This process has recently gained renewed attention as a route toward efficient light-energy conversion for solar, photocatalytic, and biological technologies. Organic molecules exhibiting thermally activated delayed fluorescence (TADF) have recently attracted attention as efficient heavy-metal-free sensitizers owing to their strong visible-light absorption, efficient intersystem crossing (ISC), and tunable excited-state energy levels. The use of TADF compounds has expanded the accessible spectral window of TTA-UC, allowing large anti-Stokes shifts such as visible-to-UV and near-infrared (NIR)-to-visible TTA-UC. This review provides an overview of recent advances in TADF-sensitized TTA-UC systems and discusses the critical factors that determine their performance, including ISC dynamics, triplet energy transfer, and material stability. Challenges and prospects for designing efficient molecular architectures to achieve high TTA-UC efficiencies, lower threshold excitation intensities, and broader wavelength coverage are also highlighted.</div></div>","PeriodicalId":376,"journal":{"name":"Journal of Photochemistry and Photobiology C: Photochemistry Reviews","volume":"66 ","pages":"Article 100741"},"PeriodicalIF":13.1,"publicationDate":"2026-03-01","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"147420377","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":1,"RegionCategory":"化学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"Engineering ZnS quantum dots for photocatalysis: Synthesis, modifications, and multifunctional applications","authors":"Jingjing Zhang ,&nbsp;Kezhen Qi ,&nbsp;Rosaiah Pitcheri ,&nbsp;Chongxiong Duan","doi":"10.1016/j.jphotochemrev.2025.100722","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.jphotochemrev.2025.100722","url":null,"abstract":"<div><div>Photocatalysis is an advanced technology that efficiently converts solar energy into chemical energy, attracting widespread attention in environmental remediation, energy development, and biomedical applications. ZnS quantum dots (ZnS QDs), as a representative wide-bandgap semiconductor, exhibit unique quantum confinement effects, tunable optoelectronic properties, and a high specific surface area, making them a promising metal sulfide photocatalyst. This review systematically summarizes recent advances in ZnS QD-based photocatalytic systems, with a focus on material design strategies and multifunctional applications. First, the fundamental mechanisms of ZnS QDs in photocatalysis are introduced, followed by a discussion on their synthesis methods. Several strategies for enhancing the photocatalytic activity of ZnS QDs, including surface modification, elemental doping, heterojunction formation, and coupling with carbon or organic materials, are discussed in detail. Furthermore, we comprehensively review the applications of ZnS QDs in the photocatalytic degradation of pollutants, water splitting for H₂ production, CO₂ reduction, N₂ fixation, antimicrobial activity, and organic synthesis, highlighting their breakthroughs in biomedical field, such as near-infrared-activated antimicrobial systems and tumor-specific photodynamic/photothermal therapy. Finally, by analyzing the current challenges of ZnS QDs in photocatalysis, we propose three future research directions to promote their practical applications in sustainable energy, environmental restoration, and precision medicine.</div></div>","PeriodicalId":376,"journal":{"name":"Journal of Photochemistry and Photobiology C: Photochemistry Reviews","volume":"65 ","pages":"Article 100722"},"PeriodicalIF":13.1,"publicationDate":"2025-12-01","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"145120676","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":1,"RegionCategory":"化学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"Low-side-effect phototherapy using aggregation-induced emission agents with “turn-on” and “turn-off” strategies","authors":"Qiang Wang ,&nbsp;Yifei Yang ,&nbsp;Yajun Lin ,&nbsp;Haijian Zhong ,&nbsp;Fang Hu","doi":"10.1016/j.jphotochemrev.2025.100723","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.jphotochemrev.2025.100723","url":null,"abstract":"<div><div>Photodynamic therapy (PDT) is a leading approach in modern oncology due to its ability to selectively eliminate cancer cells. The hydrophilic nature of traditional photosensitizers (PSs) often leads to aggregation in the biological environment reducing treatment efficiency. The PSs with aggregation-induced emission (AIE) characteristics ensure PSs retain or even enhance their efficacy in aggregated states. However, the non-specific accumulation of AIE PSs in healthy cells, especially in those near tumors, as well as the residual presence of AIE PSs after PDT treatment, presents notable challenges to the safety of PDT. To enhance the safety of PDT impacted by these two factors, researchers have developed activatable turn-on AIE PSs by cancer-specific biomarkers, as well as degradable turn-off AIE PSs. This review summarizes the recent advancements in cancer biomarkers-activated turn-on AIE PSs and degradable turn-off AIE PSs. The strategies of turn-on AIE PSs are mainly based on the mechanisms of photoinduced electron transfer (PET), Förster resonance energy transfer (FRET), intersystem crossing, and enhancing the accessibility of oxygen that controls their activation. The strategies of turn-off AIE PSs are based on self-degradation and endogenous ROS degradation, respectively.</div></div>","PeriodicalId":376,"journal":{"name":"Journal of Photochemistry and Photobiology C: Photochemistry Reviews","volume":"65 ","pages":"Article 100723"},"PeriodicalIF":13.1,"publicationDate":"2025-12-01","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"145156741","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":1,"RegionCategory":"化学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"Activatable chemiluminescence enabled external-light-free photodynamic therapy: From mechanisms, structural designs to theranostics","authors":"Yan-Qin He ,&nbsp;Jian-Hong Tang","doi":"10.1016/j.jphotochemrev.2025.100724","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.jphotochemrev.2025.100724","url":null,"abstract":"<div><div>Photodynamic therapy (PDT) is a noninvasive, clinically approved technique used to treat various conditions, including bacterial infections, several skin diseases, and cancers. It typically undergoes the external-light-irradiation of a specific photosensitizer to generate reactive oxygen species. These species cause damage to surrounding tissue and lead to cell death. However, the limited penetration depth of external light through biological tissues significantly restricts the effectiveness of PDT for deep lesions and tissues. Chemiluminescence (CL) is an emission phenomenon triggered by a chemical reaction, rather than by light excitation as is the case with conventional fluorescence. The construction of CL-initiated PDT agents provides a potential external-light-irradiation-free approach for deep-tissue PDT. Significant advances have recently been achieved in the construction of CL-initiated nano- and molecular-PDT agents through either noncovalent or covalent combination of the CL unit with the photosensitizer. This review highlights recent advancements in CL-mediated PDT for bioimaging and tumor treatment, discussing the underlying mechanisms, structural design principles, and results from <em>in vitro</em> cellular and <em>in vivo</em> animal investigations. Moreover, the current challenges and future outlook for CL-mediated PDT in tumor theranostics are also discussed.</div></div>","PeriodicalId":376,"journal":{"name":"Journal of Photochemistry and Photobiology C: Photochemistry Reviews","volume":"65 ","pages":"Article 100724"},"PeriodicalIF":13.1,"publicationDate":"2025-12-01","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"145263742","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":1,"RegionCategory":"化学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}