Building a bridge from solid wastes to solar fuels and chemicals via artificial photosynthesis

Photoreforming (PR) is a process that splits water into hydrogen coupled with oxidation of solid waste into value-added products, which provides a way to mitigate resource depletion of solid waste and accumulation of CO2 in the atmosphere. The realization of solid waste PR by harnessing the redox capabilities of photocatalyst is crucial to address the environmental pollution issue and reduce our reliance on fossil fuels. In this review, we overview the continuous progress from the latest studies in constructing the PR system for upgrading of solid waste. We classify the different kinds of solid wastes and illustrate the PR mechanism. Furthermore, we discuss the advantages for cooperatively coupling of hydrogen production with solid waste valorization. We also highlight some state-of-the-art photocatalysts for valorization of biomass, plastics, and food wastes. Finally, we focus on the development of high-performance catalysts needed in the PR domain to tackle the future challenges.