Biomass-derived semiconductors for renewable energy technologies

Abstract

Semiconductor materials play a crucial role in advancing renewable energy technologies, enabling efficient photocatalytic hydrogen production, energy conversion, and energy storage. Compared to traditional non-renewable semiconductors, next-generation semiconductor materials derived from abundant and renewable feedstocks have garnered increasing research interest. Integrating renewable semiconductors into emerging energy technologies provides unprecedented opportunities for achieving sustainability goals. Among renewable resources, biomass-derived materials have recently emerged as particularly promising candidates for semiconductor development, driven by progress in synthetic strategies. This review focuses on key synthetic approaches for producing semiconductors from biomass-derived materials, specifically tailored for sustainable energy systems. We classify various biomass-based molecular precursors and discuss their conversion methods, properties, associated challenges, and potential advantages in practical applications.