Meysam Tayebi

Organic solar cells (OSCs) are emerging as a promising renewable energy technology due to their intrinsic advantages, including mechanical flexibility, lightweight, cost‐effective processing, and easy bandgap tuning. Among advanced device architectures, tandem OSCs have been extensively investigated to improve solar energy harvesting through the development of new organic semiconductors and optimized device designs. In this work, we studied solution‐processed hetero‐tandem OSCs featuring a ternary blend (PBDTTPD‐HT: PC ₇₁ BM: IDIC) as the bottom sub‐cell and a binary blend (PTB7‐Th: o ‐IO1) as the top sub‐cell. Through morphological control of the ternary active layer and optical optimization, a power conversion efficiency (PCE) of 15.53% was achieved for tandem OSCs employing a 5:5 weight ratio of acceptors in the ternary bottom sub‐cell. Furthermore, we demonstrated a tandem OSCs mini‐module consisting of four serially connected unit tandem OSCs, which showed a PCE of 9.16% with an output voltage of 6.11 V. Finally, as a proof‐of‐concept application, the tandem OSCs were integrated into a solar‐to‐ammonia (PV‐EC) system for electricity‐driven electrolysis, achieving a solar‐to‐ammonia (STA) conversion efficiency of 4.65%.

The concurrent accumulation of plastic waste and CO₂ emissions poses a critical environmental challenge while presenting a compelling opportunity for integrated carbon management. Coupled plastic waste reforming and CO₂ conversion has recently emerged as a promising strategy to valorize these abundant waste streams into fuels and value-added chemicals, enabling a closed carbon cycle. This review systematically summarizes recent advances in integrated electrochemical and photoelectrochemical systems for the co-conversion of plastic waste and CO₂. Fundamental reaction pathways, including plastic depolymerization, reforming, and oxidation, are discussed in conjunction with their thermodynamic and kinetic coupling to CO₂ reduction. Particular emphasis is placed on paired electrochemical processes, such as plastic-derived alcohol oxidation coupled with CO₂ reduction processes, all of which offer enhanced energy efficiency. Photoelectrochemical approaches driven by renewable energy are further highlighted for their potential to operate under mild conditions. In addition, key design strategies for catalysts and electrodes—focusing on earth-abundant materials, redox stability, interfacial engineering, and selectivity control—are critically evaluated. Finally, current challenges and future opportunities are outlined to accelerate the development of scalable, efficient, and sustainable technologies for circular chemical manufacturing.

Addressing the growing threat of climate change requires urgent and sustainable solutions for managing carbon dioxide (CO₂) emissions. This review investigates the latest advancements in technologies for capturing and converting CO₂, with a focus on approaches that prioritize energy efficiency, environmental compatibility, and economic viability. Emerging strategies in CO₂ capture are discussed, with attention to low-carbon-intensity materials and scalable designs. In parallel, innovative CO₂ conversion pathways, such as thermocatalytic, electrocatalytic, and photochemical processes, are evaluated for their potential to transform CO₂ into valuable chemicals and fuels. A growing body of research now focuses on integrating capture and conversion into unified systems, eliminating energy-intensive intermediate steps like compression and transportation. These integrated carbon capture and conversion/utilization (ICCC/ICCU) technologies have gained significant attention as promising strategies for sustainable carbon management. By bridging the gap between CO₂ separation and reuse, these sustainable technologies are poised to play a transformative role in the transition to a low-carbon future.

The increasing demand for sustainable energy has driven research into technologies that address carbon dioxide mitigation and renewable energy storage. Solar‐driven photoelectrochemical (PEC) CO ₂ conversion is a promising approach that directly uses sunlight to convert CO ₂ into fuels and valuable chemicals. This review provides a comprehensive overview of PEC CO ₂ reduction, covering fundamental principles such as photon absorption, charge separation, and catalytic reaction pathways. We highlight recent advancements in material design, focusing on light absorbers, catalysts, and electrode architectures that enhance efficiency, selectivity, and stability. Furthermore, we discuss cutting‐edge strategies for enhancing solar fuel production, such as novel system designs, interface engineering, and co‐catalyst integration. These approaches have the potential to address current challenges and move PEC technology towards practical application.

TiO₂ deposition on silicon photocathode enhances its stability and forms an intimate junction with the Au electrocatalyst. Moreover, optimizing the Au loading amount is crucial for maximizing NH₃ production efficiency.

The glucose oxidation reaction (GOR) is a potential alternative to water oxidation because of its relatively low thermodynamic potential and the high availability of glucose. Herein, a FeCoO/N‐doped C electrode derived from metal–organic framework (MOF) materials is applied, which is synthesized in several steps through the controlled deposition of Fe–Co oxide nanocatalysts onto Co –N‐doped C nanofibers on a Ni foam substrate and demonstrate exceptional electrocatalytic activity for both the GOR and overall water splitting. Here, a bifunctional electrocatalyst derived from MOF, FeCoO/N‐doped C is reported, for glucose oxidation reaction (GOR) and hydrogen evolution reaction (HER). The MOF‐derived FeCoO/N‐doped C (+/‐) as a bifunctional electrocatalyst exhibits a cell voltage of 1.4 V for the GOR&HER, to reach a current density of 10 mA cm⁻², which is 280 mV lower than that for the oxygen evolution reaction (OER)&HER (1.68 V). This study reveals that GOR is an energy‐efficient and affordable source of H₂ and value‐added chemicals.

The slow anodic oxygen evolution reaction (OER) significantly limits electrocatalytic water splitting for hydrogen production. We proposed the electrocatalyst for glucose oxidation by Ta-doping NiFe LDH nanosheets to simultaneously obtain glucaric acid (GRA) and hydrogen gas as a useful byproduct. Superior glucose oxidation reaction (GOR) activity is demonstrated by the optimized Ta-NiFe LDH, which has a low overpotential of 192 mV, allowing for a small Tafel slope of 70 mV dec^-1 and a current density of 50 mA cm^-2. The Ta NiFe LDH-oxidized glucose to GRA with a 72.94% yield and 64.3% Faradaic efficiency at 1.45 V_RHE. Herein, we report the Ta NiFe LDH/NF electrode for the GOR&hydrogen evolution reaction (HER), which exhibits a cell voltage of 1.62 V to reach a current density of 10 mA cm^-2, which is 250 mV lower compared to OER&HER (1.87 V). This study reveals that GOR is an energy-efficient and cost-effective method for producing H₂ and valorizing biomass.