Metal-Organic-Framework-Based Photo-electrochemical Cells for Solar Fuel Generation

The continued growth in global energy demands necessitates the development of alternative, sustainable, and green energy resources. In that sense, artificial photosynthetic schemes provide a promising route for conversion of solar energy into added-value chemicals. Practically, a photoelectrochemical cell (PEC), constructed from semiconducting photoelectrodes, can directly convert absorbed photons into chemical fuels under solar illumination. In recent years, an emerging research field focuses on the incorporation of metal-organic framework (MOF)-based materials into PEC systems, achieved via two main strategies: first, using pristine MOFs in dye-sensitized photoelectrosynthesis cells (DSPECs), by installing both a molecular light harvester and a molecular catalyst within the MOFs pores; second, using MOF-derived materials as cocatalysts in conventional PECs, to accelerate the rate of catalysis at the semiconductor-electrolyte interface. This Perspective summarizes the recent developments in this important, fast evolving research topic. Additionally, our view on the field's current challenges and future goals will be discussed.