UV LED Sources for Heterogeneous Photocatalysis

This review article presents an overview of the application of ultraviolet light-emitting diode (UV LED) sources in heterogeneous photocatalysis within the context of artificial UV sources. The feasibility of UV LEDs as a source of UV irradiation in heterogeneous photocatalysis was first demonstrated almost a decade ago; however, for the most part, photocatalytic experimental set-ups utilise artificial light sources in the form of conventional UV lamps to initiate the desired photocatalytic transformations. A look at all sources of UV irradiation used in heterogeneous photocatalysis is taken with a focus on the growing importance of solid-state lighting devices such as UV LEDs. UV LEDs have higher external quantum efficiency and a lifetime of over 100,000 h; they are small in size and produce directional UV light which can be of the desired wavelength. In recent times, these UV LED sources have become widely applied in heterogeneous photocatalysis studies in the research literature and are fast becoming a viable alternative to conventional UV lamps.