Photocatalyst-enzyme hybrids: a pathway to sustainable solutions in green chemistry

Abstract

Hybrid enzyme-photocatalyst systems are emerging as a promising platform for sustainable catalysis by combining thelight-harvesting capabilities of photocatalysts with the high specificity of enzymes. Photobiocatalyst systems couple photoinduced electron transfer with specific enzymatic reactions to drive diverse applications, including pollutants degradation,CO2 reduction, H2 production, biosensing, synthesis of fine chemicals and biomedical applications. Advances in the designof photocatalysts, such as doping, sensitization, and hybridization, have improved light absorption, charge separation andelectron transfer, while strategies to protect enzymes have enhanced their stability and reusability under large-scale applications. However, the integration of both components remains challenging in terms of ensuring their compatibility. Creativeand sophisticated approaches with increasing complexity, often inspired by natural photosynthetic machinery, have beendeveloped for addressing the construction of hybrid systems. This review explores the different mechanistic pathways thatenable these systems to carry out efficient reactions under mild conditions, and highlights key advances in strategies forintegrating photocatalytic and enzymatic components, emphasizing their potential to address environmental and energychallenges through a wide range of outstanding applications.