Bioinspired photocatalytic water reduction and oxidation with earth-abundant metal catalysts

The development of efficient water reduction and oxidation catalysts is the key issue for achieving solar energy conversion to sustainable energy sources to replace of fossil fuels. Platinum group metal (PGM) catalysts have been recognized as active catalysts for both water reduction and oxidation. However, it is highly desired to replace precious and scarce PGM catalysts by earth-abundant metal catalysts for water reduction and oxidation. In the past 5 years, there has been significant progress in the development of water reduction and oxidation catalysts based on earth-abundant metals such as iron, nickel, copper, and manganese, which have been combined with organic photocatalysts. This work describes the state of the art and future challenges in bioinspired photocatalytic water reduction and oxidation with earth-abundant metals.