A review on metal-organic frameworks photoelectrochemistry: A headlight for future applications

Photoelectrochemistry is an advancing interdisciplinary field, dealing with the chemistry and physics of photo-driven reactions at solid/liquid interfaces. This field requires collaboration between the (electro) chemists, physicists, spectroscopists, theorists, as well as materials and electronic scientists. MOFs, defined as a type of porous material with unique atomic ordering, display exception appearance superior efficiency for photoelectrochemical (PEC) applications. Recent applications of photoelectrochemistry at the metal-organic framework (MOFs)/electrolyte interfaces provide a sustainable and renewable strategy for light-harvesting that boosts ΔG < 0 reactions, without the genuine storage of chemical energy, while the radiant energy rate up a different leisurely reaction. However, so many fundamental and practical studies are yet to be carried out in this field. In this review, we have provided a comprehensive discussion of the fundamental concepts and photoelectrochemistry applications of the MOFs, in the following, challenges, potential, and opportunities are systematically summarized and discussed. Does this review provide answers to the following questions: (1) How to prepare MOFs thin films as photoelectrodes? (2) What are some important photophysical properties of MOFs-based photoelectrodes focused on the band structures, charge transfer type, kinetic of charge transfers, and light harvesting properties? (3) How to modify the MOFs interface with other materials for enhanced PEC responses? (4) How are MOFs utilized in PEC-based reactions? (5) What are the experimental and theoretical techniques that allow us to obtain fundamental insights into photoelectrochemistry at MOFs? (6) What are the design strategies for integrated MOF-based photoelectrodes? (7) Which MOF-based PEC application has been further developed? We hope this review could assist researchers to deeper to understand the key features of MOFs for PEC applications and develop practical strategies for advancing the solar-powered chemical plants solar-powered chemical plants that will advance our society in the prolonged. We have tried to prepare a summary of what will be discussed in this review in the form of a map according to the Scheme 1 to better understand the concepts.