Interfacing microorganisms with synthetic materials toward augmented light-driven chemical production

Solar-driven conversion of abundant small molecules such as H₂O, CO₂ and N₂ into value-added chemicals represents an attractive strategy for sustainable energy utilization and green manufacturing. Integrating microorganisms with functional materials has emerged as a powerful route to the utilization and conversion of solar power by combining the efficient photoelectric properties and microenvironment regulation ability of artificial materials with the catalytic specificity, self-repair capability, and metabolic versatility of living cells. In this review, we first discuss the conceptual background and significance of photosynthetic biohybrid systems. We then summarize the components of such microorganism-material biohybrids. Next, we analyze interface engineering strategies and electron transfer pathways in the biohybrid systems, with emphasis on surface integration, intracellular integration, and periplasmic integration of functional materials with microorganisms. We further review recent advances in chemical production through these biohybrids from three perspectives: hydrogen production, carbon-based chemical synthesis from CO₂, and nitrogen-containing compound synthesis from N₂. Finally, we highlight the remaining challenges and emerging opportunities in photosynthetic biohybrid systems and discuss its prospects as a next-generation platform for sustainable solar-to-chemical biomanufacturing.