From Mechanism to Decision in Photocatalysis And Solar Fuels: Cross-Scale Reasoning and Reproducibility

Abstract

A central challenge in photocatalysis and solar fuels is to compare studies whose mechanisms and validation settings do not share a single denominator. The present review uses a beta-FeOOH photo-Fenton platform that couples hydrogen evolution with pollutant degradation and dual-function phosphorus doping and cocatalyst engineering to improve charge use in photocatalytic hydrogen generation as focal cases for a boundary-aware synthesis. The review draws on two focal records and 12 established sources already present in the project evidence cache. Its comparative framework links charge separation, active-site chemistry, and reaction selectivity to downstream questions of materials stability and reactor integration. The combined literature indicates that methodological gains become actionable only when charge separation and active-site chemistry are evaluated together and when limits associated with reactor integration are explicit. This shifts the emphasis from isolated scores toward traceable chains of evidence and decision relevance. The resulting framework supports reproducible comparison while preserving differences between study designs, and it identifies concrete points at which transfer claims should be narrowed or retested.