2D ultra-thin structure accelerating solar-driven sustainable energy conversion

Under the background of fossil fuel shortage, ecological environment deterioration and achieving dual carbon goals, the development and utilization of sustainable energy, especially solar energy, have garnered significant scientific interest. Photocatalysis presents a promising approach to converting sunlight energy into chemical energy, such as water decomposition to produce hydrogen, CO₂ photoreduction to generate clean fuels. Nevertheless, improving the photocatalysis efficiency of catalyst materials remains a significant challenge. Two-dimensional (2D) ultra-thin structure offers several advantages, including efficient reactant diffusion, charge shift, rich reactive sites, lower density, and tunable electronic configuration, making them promising candidates for photocatalysis applications. In this paper, we thoroughly elaborated the significant advances in 2D ultra-thin structured materials for efficient photocatalytic sustainable energy generation, highlighting their merits in views of structure, morphology, electronic configuration, charge migration and surface chemistry that contribute to enhanced photocatalytic performance. Additionally, the preparation methods and advanced characterization techniques of 2D ultra-thin structure were briefly elaborated. Finally, the key challenges and future prospects of 2D ultra-thin structure for industrial and commercial sustainable energy generation were outlined and summarized. This review aims to offer insights into the fundamental understanding, design, and fabricating advanced photocatalytic materials and reaction systems for efficient clean energy production.