Polyoxometalate-Based Photocatalytic New Materials for the Treatment of Water Pollutants: Mechanism, Advances, and Challenges

Water, the source of life, is undeniably essential to all living beings in nature. However, the process of industrialization has led to the pollution of water resources. Photocatalytic water treatment technology can convert solar energy into environmentally friendly and renewable chemical energy, effectively degrading organic pollutants in water. This offers a promising solution for the purification of water environments. The development of high-performance photocatalysts is crucial for photocatalytic reactions. Polyoxometalates (POMs) are anionic metal oxide clusters that come in various sizes and shapes. Their unique electronic properties, tunable structures, and photocatalytic activity make them highly promising materials for the efficient degradation of organic pollutants in water. This review summarizes the recent advances in emerging POM-based photocatalytic materials for water treatment, elaborating on their mechanisms of action. Finally, the current development prospects and the future challenges of POM-based photocatalytic materials are envisioned.