Solar Energy Conversion and Environmental Remediation Using Inorganic Semiconductor-Liquid Interfaces: The Road Traveled and the Way Forward.

Unlike their solid-state counterparts, semiconductor-liquid junctions are versatile in that the incident solar energy can be stored in the form of chemical fuels. Another attractive application is the use of irradiated oxide semiconductor-coated surfaces for self-cleaning and antifogging. The theme of this history-tinged Guest Commentary centers on the question of what has been accomplished in the above "photoelectrochemical" schemes over the 35 year time frame from 1975 to 2010. Progress in this field was aided by the infusion of new concepts and contributions from the materials chemistry and physics communities. A related aspect of discussion is how the active semiconductor material has evolved both chemically and morphologically in these applications. It is shown that despite impressive research advances, only a handful of the above concepts (e.g., dye-sensitized solar photon conversion and self-cleaning and antifogging surfaces) have made the successful transition from the laboratory to the marketplace.