Photoelectrochemical (PEC) Energy Conversion with Single Atoms

In recent years, intensive research has been done to develop an efficient and low-cost catalyst for sustainable and scalable solar-driven energy conversion. Single-atom catalyst (SAC) offers an ideal active site with 100% accessibility for the reaction that could simultaneously enhance both catalytic activity and selectivity for various photoelectrochemical (PEC) energy conversion reactions. This chapter summarizes SAC development literature for energy applications, typically PEC water splitting and CO ₂ conversion into value-added products. In SAC, different types of support are discussed, starting from single atom (SA) immobilized in carbon support, SA supported in metal oxide, and phosphide-based semiconductors, in addition to the SA supported in 2D and 3D porous materials, including metal-organic frameworks (MOFs) and covalent organic frameworks (COFs). The catalytic performance of each system is discussed alongside its stability and relationship between active metal sites and its support.