Colloidal Semiconductor Nanocrystals for Artificial Photosynthesis

Light-driven reactions for solar fuels have been receiving tremendous interest, leading of the possibility to store solar energy, our biggest and cleanest renewable energy source. Efficient solar to fuel conversion needs photosynthetic materials with strong absorption and high photocatalytic properties. Colloidal semiconductor nanocrystals are cutting-edge materials for this application, thanks to their tunable optical and electronic properties through size, composition, morphology, and assembly. In this chapter, some insights on the challenges to improve photocatalytic performance are reported, followed by an overview of different parameters that can be controlled to cope with these limitations. Finally, some devices at the forefront are illustrated.