Photoelectrochemical (PEC) catalysis provides the most promising avenue for producing value‐added chemicals and consumables from renewable precursors. Over the last decades, PEC catalysis, including reduction of renewable feedstock, oxidation of organics, and activation and functionalization of C─C and C─H bonds, are extensively investigated, opening new opportunities for employing the technology in upgrading readily available resources. However, several challenges still remain unsolved, hindering the commercialization of the process. This review offers an overview of PEC catalysis targeted at the synthesis of high‐value chemicals from sustainable precursors. First, the fundamentals of evaluating PEC reactions in the context of value‐added product synthesis at both anode and cathode are recalled. Then, the common photoelectrode fabrication methods that have been employed to produce thin‐film photoelectrodes are highlighted. Next, the advancements are systematically reviewed and discussed in the PEC conversion of various feedstocks to produce highly valued chemicals. Finally, the challenges and prospects in the field are presented. This review aims at facilitating further development of PEC technology for upgrading several renewable precursors to value‐added products and other pharmaceuticals.

The urea oxidation reaction (UOR), with its low thermodynamic potential, offers a promising alternative to the oxygen evolution reaction (OER) for efficient hydrogen production. However, its sluggish kinetics still demand the development of an efficient electrocatalyst. In this study, the critical role of Ru doping in Fe₂TiO₅ is demonstrated to accelerate UOR kinetics. The computational finding confirmed the feasibility of this approach, guiding the experimental synthesis of Fe _2−x Ru _x TiO ₅ . Benefitting from surface properties and electronic structure, the synthesized material exhibits superior performance with a potential of 1.30 V at a current density of 10 mA cm ⁻² for UOR, compared to undoped Fe2TiO5 (1.40 V). Moreover, it demonstrates a favourable Tafel slope of 52 mV dec ⁻¹ and maintains robust durability for 72 h. As confirmed from experimental and computational findings, the enhanced activity can be attributed to the Ru doping resulting in structural distortion at the Fe site and creation of a favourable adsorption site thereby enhancing UOR via dual active center. This study not only broadens the potential applications of Fe2TiO5‐based materials beyond their traditional role as photocatalysts but also establishes them as promising electrocatalysts underscoring the versatility and improved performance of Fe _2−x Ru _x TiO ₅ .

Basic insight into the structural evolution of electrocatalysts under operating conditions is of substantial importance for designing water oxidation catalysts. The first‐row transition metal‐based catalysts present state‐of‐the‐art oxygen evolution reaction (OER) performance under alkaline conditions. Apparently, confinement has become an exciting strategy to boost the performance of these catalysts. The van der Waals (vdW) gaps of transition metal dichalcogenides are acknowledged to serve as a suitable platform to confine the first‐row transition metal catalysts. This study focuses on confining Ni(OH) ₂ nanoparticle in the vdW gaps of 2D exfoliated SnS ₂ (Ex‐SnS ₂ ) to accelerate water oxidation and to guarantee long term durability in alkaline solutions. The trends in oxidation states of Ni are probed during OER catalysis. The in situ studies confirm that the confined system produces a favorable environment for accelerated oxygen gas evolution, whereas the un‐confined system proceeds with a relatively slower kinetics. The outstanding OER activity and excellent stability, with an overpotential of 300 mV at 100 mA cm ⁻² and Tafel slope as low as 93 mV dec ⁻¹ results from the confinement effect. This study sheds light on the OER mechanism of confined catalysis and opens up a way to develop efficient and low‐cost electrocatalysts.

Designing and achieving active and stable oxygen evolution reaction (OER) catalysts for both acidic and alkaline media is essential but challenging. Herein, we are reporting Nb‐doped Co₃O₄ catalys synthesized via hydrothermal route. The optimized CoNb0.6 catalyst showcases an overpotential of 260 and 250 mV at 10 mA cm⁻² for the OER in 1 M KOH and 0.5 M H₂SO₄, respectively, significantly lower than that of Co₃O₄, which requires 440 and 310 mV under the same conditions. Nb doping significantly enhances the electrochemically active surface area (ECSA) and charge transfer kinetics of CoNb0.6 exhibiting a 7.8‐fold and 10‐fold increase in ECSA in 1 M KOH and 0.5 M H₂SO₄, respectively. The catalyst can operates at a current density of 10, 30, and 100 mA cm⁻² for over 35 h under 1 M KOH, but it operates for ≈80 h at a current density of 10 and 50 mA cm⁻² under 0.5 M H₂SO₄. The higher activity emanated from the synergistic effect between the Nb⁵⁺ dopant and Co₃O₄. Whereas the long‐term durability emanates from the formation of Nb⁵⁺ in Co₃O₄ during OER suppresses dissolution of Co and strengthens the Co─O bonds in Co₃O₄ to prevent the formation of soluble high‐valent Nb species.

Liquid luminescent solar concentrators (liquid LSCs) have emerged as a promising alternative to conventional solid‐state LSCs for enhancing solar energy harvesting. This review focuses primarily on the two major types of LSCs: liquid‐based and thin‐film‐based systems. By comparing their respective advantages and limitations, it aims to identify how specific performance gaps, such as optical efficiency, quantum yield, scalability, recyclability, ease of fabrication, and cost can be addressed by one type over the other. Particular emphasis is placed on liquid LSCs, which, unlike their solid thin‐film counterparts, offer unique benefits such as solution‐processability, facile large‐area coverage, self‐healing potential, and material reusability. However, despite these benefits, research in this area remains scarce, with relatively few studies published to date. This review aims to provide a comprehensive overview of the recent developments in liquid LSCs, covering fundamental operating principles, key performance metrics, and major advances in luminescent materials, matrix design, and device architectures. Explored potential applications in sustainable energy systems are also reported. This review concludes by discussing ongoing challenges like stability, leakage, and contamination, and presenting future directions highlighting the promise of this underexplored field.

Cerium‐containing titania nano‐octahedra (CeTNOh) are obtained by ultrasonication‐hydrothermal synthesis of Ce‐containing titanate nanowires (0.35, 0.46, and 0.70 Ce mol %) from commercial TiO2 (Degussa P25). CeTNOh are tested as photocatalysts to degrade a target pollutant (ciprofloxacin) under simulated solar light and at mild conditions. CeTNOh are anatase polymorphs with increasing crystallite size as Ce content increases. Hydrothermal treatments enhance the specific surface area (SSA) compared to P25, although Ce addition slightly reduces SSA while increasing crystallite size. Electron Microscopy confirms the morphology, although higher Ce levels hinder a full transformation. X‐ray photoemission spectroscopy (XPS) shows the presence of Ce³⁺/Ce⁴⁺ redox pair, promoting electron mobility and Ti‐Ce interactions. Optical and electronic spectroscopy reveals that Ce loading reduces the bandgap from 3.20 to 2.74 eV, extending light absorption into the visible range, thus enhancing the photocatalytic activity. The best sample, CeTNOh0.35, achieved 83% degradation of ciprofloxacin after 360 minutes under solar irradiation, with poor adsorption in the dark period. Higher Ce loadings negatively affect photoactivity by partially covering titania active sites. Reusability tests confirm the stability and efficiency of CeTNOh0.35 over three cycles, highlighting the importance of octahedral morphology in Ce‐containing systems to boost the final photoactivity for water remediation.