Themed collection Artificial Photosynthesis - From Sunlight to Fuels and Valuable Products for a Sustainable Future

This themed issue includes a collection of articles on artificial photosynthesis: from sunlight to fuels and valuable products for a sustainable future.

Recent results concerning molecular molybdenum sulfido clusters as model systems for heterogeneous hydrogen evolution catalysis by molybdenum sulfides are summarized and also compared to the related chemistry of the active site of the enzyme Mo-nitrogenase.

This review discusses strategies to enhance oxygenic photoautotrophic carbon fixation with a focus on the Calvin–Benson–Bassham cycle.

Organic oxidation reactions can replace the anodic oxygen evolution of water splitting for clean hydrogen generation paired with high-value product.

Visible-light driven CO₂ reduction and utilization systems involving the photoreduction of NAD(P)⁺ or bipyridinium salt (viologen)-based electron mediators and biocatalysts are introduced.

Flash photolysis studies indicate general base catalysis by borate in photoinduced proton-coupled electron transfer from Co₃O₄ nanoparticles to Ru(III)(bpy)₃³⁺.

Photocatalytic H₂ evolution activity in iodide aqueous solution was improved by increasing the Ru(II)–dye layer number on the Pt–TiO₂ surface.

Decoupled effects of crystallographic {002} orientation and oxygen vacancies on the electronic band structure of monoclinic WO₃ films.

Micro-structured p-Si/TiO₂/NiO_x allows for efficient photoelectrochemical H₂ production from seawater.

The simultaneous, real time observation of oxygen evolution in the gas phase and in solution enables advanced mechanistic studies which are critical for technologies including water electrolysis, fuel cells, oxidation catalysis and metal–air batteries.

Quantitative description of electrolyte impact is established for nanoscale water electrolysis prevalent during photocatalytic overall water splitting.

Efficient storage of solar energy via light-driven hydrogen evolution is an attractive and promising strategy to address challenges related to increasing global energy demand.

Electrolysis with a bipolar membrane induced pH gradient: the conditions for high energy efficiency (low membrane voltage) are explored.

A FeCoW multimetal oxide-coated W:BiVO₄ photoanode performs a 3.8 times photocurrent and a negative shift of the flat-band potential by 280 mV in comparison to a W:BiVO₄ photoanode.

Dual-working-electrode photoelectrochemistry experiments reveal how the most-prominent photocurrent transients are associated with catalyst oxidation/reduction.

Nitrogen/fluorine-codoped rutile TiO₂ photocatalyst was developed toward solar-driven Z-scheme water splitting.

A hybrid photoanode, made of a multilayered heterostructured WO₃/BiVO₄ semiconductor, a carbon nanotube fibre and a rugged and highly active molecular water oxidation catalyst is described.

A particulate solid solution, (ZnSe)_0.85(CuIn_0.7Ga_0.3Se₂)_0.15, was synthesized by the flux method using various amounts of a Cu precursor (to make Cu-deficient, stoichiometric, or Cu-excess specimens) and/or a Na₂S additive, to assess the effects of synthesis conditions on photoelectrochemical (PEC) properties.

NiFe oxyhydroxides are prime candidates for efficient alkaline water oxidation; their redox chemistry is tracked by X-ray spectroscopy.

Under basic condition, SiTPyP(O⁻)₂ exerts two-electron oxidation of water to form hydrogen peroxide as the primary product in aqueous acetonitrile, which is initiated through one-electron oxidized process on the electrode with faradaic yield of 84–92%.

(CuGa_1−yIn_y)_1−xZn_2xS₂ has arisen as a highly efficient powder-based photocathode for water splitting under simulated sunlight irradiation.