Themed collection Emerging Inorganic Materials for Solar Harvesting

We review Ag–Bi perovskite-inspired materials, linking structures, defects, processing, and stability to performance and applications like photovoltaics, X-ray detectors, memory devices, and nonlinear optics.

This review examines the operational mechanisms of radiative cooling, identifies limitations of conventional film materials, and evaluates recent progress in bio-inspired design strategies for radiative cooling films.

We prepare and isolate propylammonium poly-Se(-Te) precursors from a thiol-amine solvent system to produce high quality Se and Se–Te alloy films with bandgaps tunable from 1.2 eV to 1.86 eV for applications in photovoltaics.

The Cu₂O photocathode, with uniformly distributed SnO_x nanoparticles, enabled efficient CO₂ to formate conversion. When integrated with semitransparent BiVO₄ photoanode, the tandem device achieved concurrent formate production at both electrodes.

This work demonstrates the first AgBiS₂-based photocathode achieved using urea as a Lewis base additive to improve film morphology and simultaneously control cation disorder through dithiocarbamate-based coordination chemistry.

Cu₂Zn(Ge_xSi_1−x)Se₄ exhibits a distortion-driven phase transition from tetragonal kesterite (I) to monoclinic wurtz–kesterite (Pn), with phase coexistence at x = 0.45–0.55 and band gaps ranging from 1.31 to 2.22 eV.

Multivalent Cu sites on reduced TiO₂ enable high solar H₂ evolution, visible-light activity (λ > 380 nm), and long-term stability, with operando UV-DRS revealing dynamic Cu redox.

Acoustic-energy-assisted aging strengthens V⁵⁺–PEG coordination, directing nucleation and growth to yield large-grain BiVO₄ photoanodes with substantially enhanced photocurrent.

Ultrathin ZnO interlayer boosts TiO₂–based Sb₂S₃ solar cells to record efficiencies 7.5% AM 1.5G and 18% indoor. Reduced nonradiative losses, passivated front interface, and larger Sb₂S₃ grains enable stable power for IoT applications.

The combined aliovalent Cu substitution and exfoliation strategy provides an effective approach to enhance the photocatalytic H₂O₂ production performance of ZnIn₂S₄ materials.

The oxygen evolution reaction (OER)—2H₂O → O₂ + 4H⁺ + 4e⁻—is the limiting half-cell reaction in the electrochemical water splitting process for the production of green hydrogen.

This research highlights the significant potential ferroelectric polarization possesses to readily, rapidly and potentially reversibly alter the p/n behavior of a BFO photoelectrode under mild treatment conditions.

M₃ACI₃ (M = Ca, Sr, Ba, A = N, P, As) compounds are promising for PVCs and optoelectronics, with a bandgap of 1.7 to 2.9 eV, carrier mobility of 38 to 192 cm V⁻¹ s⁻¹, and absorption coefficient of 2.5 to 11 × 10⁵ cm⁻¹.

Systematic alkali dopant selection tunes Cu₂CdSnS₄ thin film properties, revealing suppressed recombination, optimal charge transport, and improved solar cell performance.

Shape anisotropy in iron oxide, dye catalyst interface, and interfacial charge transfer in sunlight driven photocatalysis.

Chalcohalides are an emerging family of semiconductors with tunable material properties, shaped by the intricate interplay between their unique structural chemistry and vibrational dynamics.

TiSi₂/CQD, a novel hybrid solar-driven photocatalyst platform with low toxicity, narrow bandgap, high cyclic reusability and visible light activity for efficient photodegradtaion of water pollutants.

A P/CF-20 magnetically recyclable Z-scheme heterojunction for >99% tetracycline degradation in 30 min via enhanced charge separation to drive h⁺/O₂⁻/·OH pathways.

A straightforward approach to precursor engineering for DMSO-based CZTS solar cells, combined with post-annealing in ambient air, was developed to enhance CZTS device efficiency.

We have designed a NiCo-MOF decorated Zr/Sm co-doped Fe₂O₃ photoanode with a p–n heterojunction. Zr/Sm co-doping enhanced bulk conductivity, while NiCo-MOF passivated surface-trapping states and served as a cocatalyst.

Tetragonal ZnGa₂Te₄ thin films with direct bandgap ∼1.86 eV show −2 mA cm⁻² photocurrent, highlighting their potential as efficient photocathodes for photoelectrochemical CO₂ reduction.

Back contact engineering of flexible (Ag,Cu)₂ZnSn(S,Se)₄ solar cells on Mo foil was performed. Despite the formation of a thick MoSe₂ layer, MoO₃ insertion at the back reduced kesterite decomposition and promoted grain growth, enabling η of 11.2%.

TiO₂ nanoparticles sensitized with the quinacridone industrial pigment enable the photocatalytic oxidation of glycerol to glyceraldehyde exploiting red light.

Plasma was used to transform the randomly sized & oriented graphitic carbon nitride (GCN) nanosheet into size uniform, functionalized GCN nanoparticles which was used as an effective defect passivating agent for ETL in perovskite solar cells.

Sb₂Se₃ photocathode performance improves by tuning substrate temperature during Sb metal deposition. Thinner nanorods result in reduced charge recombination, enhancing photocurrent by restricting charge transport in the hk0 direction.