Affiliation:
1. Collaborative Innovation Center of Chemistry for Energy Materials (iChEM) Key Laboratory of Precision and Intelligent Chemistry Department of Polymer Science and Engineering University of Science and Technology of China Hefei Anhui 230026 China
Abstract
AbstractSolar‐driven photoelectrochemical (PEC) energy conversion holds great potential in converting solar energy into storable and transportable chemicals or fuels, providing a viable route toward a carbon‐neutral society. Conjugated polymers are rapidly emerging as a new class of materials for PEC water splitting. They exhibit many intriguing properties including tunable electronic structures through molecular engineering, excellent light harvesting capability with high absorption coefficients, and facile fabrication of large‐area thin films via solution processing. Recent advances have indicated that integrating rationally designed conjugated polymers with inorganic semiconductors is a promising strategy for fabricating efficient and stable hybrid photoelectrodes for high‐efficiency PEC water splitting. This review introduces the history of developing conjugated polymers for PEC water splitting. Notable examples of utilizing conjugated polymers to broaden the light absorption range, improve stability, and enhance the charge separation efficiency of hybrid photoelectrodes are highlighted. Furthermore, key challenges and future research opportunities for further improvements are also presented. This review provides an up‐to‐date overview of fabricating stable and high‐efficiency PEC devices by integrating conjugated polymers with state‐of‐the‐art semiconductors and would have significant implications for the broad solar‐to‐chemical energy conversion research.
Funder
National Key Research and Development Program of China
National Natural Science Foundation of China
Fundamental Research Funds for the Central Universities
Subject
General Materials Science,General Chemistry