Exploring the green technique based on photocatalysis to produce hydrogen peroxide: Progress and challenge.

[Display omitted] • Main mechanisms of photocatalytic H 2 O 2 generation are summarized. • Merits and demerits of various strategies on improving H 2 O 2 production are analyzed. • Application of photocatalytic H 2 O 2 evolution in environmental remediation is studied. • Challenges and perspectives facing photocatalytic H 2 O 2 generation are proposed. As a renewable energy carrier and an environmental-friendly oxidant, hydrogen peroxide (H 2 O 2) has attracted widely attention. In comparison with conventional anthraquinone process, photocatalytic H 2 O 2 generation is a sustainable, simple, safe, and green process, so there is a growing body of research on photocatalytic H 2 O 2 generation. In this review, the progress and challenge of photocatalytic H 2 O 2 generation are summarized, including the main mechanism of photocatalytic H 2 O 2 synthesis, and design and modification principles of photocatalyst. Notably, the main issues facing photocatalytic H 2 O 2 synthesis are low utilization of solar energy, high recombination rate of electron-hole pairs, poor selectivity of product, and easy decomposition of H 2 O 2. To overcome these problems, various effective and feasible strategies are proposed, and the mechanisms, advantages and disadvantages of these strategies are also discussed. Furthermore, the environmental applications of photocatalytic H 2 O 2 evolution are summarized in brief. More significantly, the challenges and future prospects about photocatalytic H 2 O 2 production are proposed. In short, it is expected that this review can share some meaningful insights into photocatalytic H 2 O 2 generation and provide some valuable references for future research. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]