The development of narrow-bandgap photocatalysts for one-step-excitation overall water splitting (OWS) remains a critical challenge in the field of solar hydrogen production. SrTaO₂N is a photocatalytic material having a band structure suitable for OWS under visible light (λ ≤ 600 nm). However, the presence of defects in the oxynitride and the lack of cocatalysts to promote simultaneous hydrogen and oxygen evolution make it challenging to realize OWS using this material. The present work demonstrates a SrTaO₂N-based particulate photocatalyst for OWS. This photocatalyst, which was composed of single crystals, was obtained by nitriding SrCl₂ and Ta₂O₅ together with NaOH, with the latter added to control the formation of defects. The subsequent loading of bimetallic RuIrO_x nanoparticles accelerated charge separation and allowed the SrTaO₂N photocatalyst to exhibit superior OWS activity. This research presenting the strategies of controlling the oxygen sources and promoting the cocatalyst function is expected to expand the range of potential OWS-active oxynitride photocatalysts and permit the design of efficient cocatalysts for photocatalytic OWS.

This review discusses recent advances in the photocatalytic carboxylation of C(sp³)–X (X = H, N) bonds, C(sp²)–X (X = H, N, (pseudo)halide) bonds and C(sp)–H bonds with CO₂.

Readily available iron compounds were found to be active catalysts for the selective oxidation of sulfide to sulfoxide with molecular oxygen as the oxidant in polyethylene glycol (PEG). As an indispensable component, PEG had a great promotive effect on the reaction. Notably, high conversion (>99%) along with excellent chemo-selectivity of up to 94% could be attained by using Fe(acac)₂ as the catalyst at 100 °C. This methodology was proved to be applicable for the transformation of various aromatic and aliphatic sulfides into the corresponding sulfoxides with high selectivity. PEG is considered to play a crucial role in stablizing the Fe(IV)-oxo species formed in situ which is supposed to be responsible for the sulfide oxidation.

A method for the efficient synthesis of alkylidene carbonates from CO ₂ by tuning the basicity of ionic liquids was reported.