Common organic compounds could enable artificial photosynthesis devices

A group of organic compounds known as porphyrin derivatives are essential for life on Earth. They form the core of both chlorophyll and hemoglobin, and some researchers hope they could be the key to unlocking next generation solutions for green energy technologies.

Research into porphyrins, from their use in nanomaterials to their properties as photocatalysts, is rapidly growing as scientists work to capitalize on the compounds’ unique chemical and structural properties. Recently, porphyrins have gained attention for their possible applications in artificial photosynthesis as well as gas storage,

energy storage, catalysis, sensing, and environmental remediation.

Lee et al. discussed the potential of porphyrin-based nanomaterials with a focus on their uses as photocatalysts.

“Artificial photosynthesis can be considered one of the most promising ways to solve global warming caused by the use of fossil energy,” said author Woo-Dong Jang. “Currently, there are relatively few examples of the active use of porphyrin in research related to artificial photosynthesis, compared to other inorganic materials. This is why porphyrin, which has excellent optical and oxidation-reduction properties, is expected to make a significant contribution to the development of catalysts.”

The authors provided an overview of how porphyrins are used by plants and bacteria in nature, the photocatalytic effects of the compounds, and a summary of porphyrin-based nanoporous materials and their use in photocatalytic systems. They also discussed the current limitations of porphyrins such as scalability, photobleaching and structural stability.

The authors hope their paper will help inspire researchers to embark on new studies of porphyrins.

“Many people researching porphyrins are aware of the expected properties of the material, but face challenges in synthesizing nanomaterials,” said Jang. “This paper may provide an interface between porphyrins and materials.”

Source: “Porphyrin-based nanoporous materials for photocatalytic applications,” by Jeong Heon Lee, Younghun Kim, Sangyoon Oh, and Woo-Dong Jang, Applied Physics Reviews (2024). The article can be accessed at https://doi.org/10.1063/5.0189579 .