Functional Metal Complexes for Solar-Light-Driven Energy Conversion

Solar energy conversion offers the advantage of being more environmentally friendly compared to the use of nuclear or fossil fuels. In recent years, metal complexes as functional materials have received extensive attention, and great progress has been made in energy storage and conversion. They usually possess tunable photoelectrochemical properties due to the diversity of organic ligands and metal centers. Moreover, the photophysical properties of metal complexes, particularly their strong ability to capture visible light and achieve long triplet state lifetimes, are essential for the effective utilization of these complexes in their practical applications. In this review, we examine the latest advancements in the design of the state-of-the art metal complexes and highlight key breakthroughs of these complexes, particularly in solar-to-electrical, -chemical, and -thermal energy conversion applications. We also address the current challenges and outline future directions for the development of functional metal complexes in the field of solar-light-driven energy conversion.