Catalyzing a cleaner future: recent advancement in photocatalytic conversion for CO2-to-solar fuels

photoconversion performance were discussed, including (1) regulation of hydrophilic and hydrophobic surfaces of photocatalytic materials, (2) construction of heterojunctions; (3) dual-site engineering, (4) design of asymmetric structures; (5) doping; (6) creation of single-atom catalysis systems; (7) vacancy engineering; (8) loading of cocatalysts; (9) surface reconstruction; and (10) modulation of Cu valence states in typical photocatalytic materials. Finally, challenges and perspectives are also presented, including challenges of low efficiency, poor selectivity, and catalyst stability under realistic conditions, along with future perspectives focusing on developing highly active, selective, and durable catalysts through advanced materials engineering and optimized reaction environments.