The sustainable synthesis of fuels and chemicals is key to attaining a carbon-neutral economy. This can be achieved by mimicking the light-harvesting and catalytic processes occurring in plants. Solar fuel production is commonly performed via established approaches, including photovoltaic–electrochemical (PV–EC), photoelectrochemical (PEC), and photocatalytic (PC) systems. A recent shift saw these systems evolve into integrated, compact panels, which suit practical applications through their simplicity, scalability, and ease of operation. This advance has resulted in a suite of apparently similar technologies, including the so-called artificial leaves and PC sheets. In this Account, we compare these different thin film technologies based on their micro- and nanostructure (i.e., layered vs particulate), operation principle (products occurring on the same or different sides of the panel), and product/reaction scope (overall water splitting and CO₂ reduction, or organics, biomass, and waste conversion).

中文翻译：

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用于光化学转换的太阳能电池板技术

燃料和化学品的可持续合成是实现碳中和经济的关键。这可以通过模仿植物中发生的光捕获和催化过程来实现。太阳能燃料生产通常通过既定方法进行，包括光伏-电化学 (PV-EC)、光电化学 (PEC) 和光催化 (PC) 系统。最近的一次转变见证了这些系统演变成集成的紧凑型面板，通过其简单性、可扩展性和易操作性适合实际应用。这一进步催生了一系列明显相似的技术，包括所谓的人造树叶和 PC 板材。在这篇文章中，我们根据微结构和纳米结构（即层状与颗粒状）比较了这些不同的薄膜技术，₂减少，或有机物、生物质和废物转化）。