Conjugated polymers have recently been under active investigation as promising alternatives to traditional inorganic semiconductors for photocatalysis. This is due to their unique advantages of low cost, high chemical stability, and molecularly tunable optoelectronic properties. This critical review summarizes the recent advancements in π-conjugated polymers for visible-light-driven photocatalytic applications including water splitting, CO₂ reduction, organic transformation and degradation of organic dyes. Special emphasis is placed on how the changes in the polymer structure could influence their physicochemical properties and photocatalytic activities. This structure–activity relationship analysis should guide rational molecular design of conjugated polymers for improved photocatalytic activity.

Two AIE-active chiral BINOL-based O-BODIPY enantiomers (R/S-5) were synthesized and showed mirror-image red-color CPL induced via intramolecular energy transfer. The chiroptical properties of the molecules indicate that the chirality of electronic ground and excited states is stable and independent of aggregation.

Two novel triphenylamine based conjugated microporous polymers are designed and synthesized for photocatalytic CO₂ reduction using water vapor as electron donor under ambient condition (>420 nm).