A A Short Review of Recent Advances in ArtificialP hotosynthesis Chemistry
Artificial photosynthesis has emerged as a promising strategy for sustainable solar-to-chemical energy conversion by mimicking natural photosynthetic processes to produce fuels from water and carbon dioxide. In recent years, significant chemical advances have been achieved in light-harvesting materials, molecular and heterogeneous catalysts, and integrated photoelectrochemical systems. Progress in self photosensitizing molecular catalysts, metal-organic and covalent organic frameworks, and earth-abundant water oxidation and CO2 reduction catalysts has enhanced charge separation, catalytic efficiency, and product selectivity. Meanwhile, artificial leaf architectures and hybrid systems have demonstrated improved solar-to-chemical conversion efficiencies under increasingly practical conditions. Notably, several laboratory scale photoelectrochemical (PEC) systems have recently reported solar-to-hydrogen conversion efficiencies approaching 10% (unassisted, AM 1.5G illumination), reaching the threshold for commercial viability. Despite these advances, challenges related to long-term catalyst stability, efficiency losses, and large-scale implementation remain. This review summarizes key chemical developments from the past 3–5 years (2020–2025), highlighting emerging design strategies and integrated approaches that are shaping the future of scalable and sustainable artificial photosynthesis.
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