Organic Semiconductor Electrocatalysts: Design Strategies, Reaction Mechanisms, and Application Prospects

Organic semiconductor electrocatalysts (OSEs), which integrate the properties of organic semiconductors with electrocatalytic performance, have emerged as promising alternatives to traditional noble metal catalysts due to their low cost, earth abundance, and design flexibility. This article reviews the unique structural features of organic material systems, including small organic molecules, conjugated polymers, covalent organic frameworks (COFs), and organic hybrid materials. It elucidates the structure-activity relationship between the features of organic catalysts and their catalytic advantages. It discusses design strategies, including molecular engineering and interface regulation. Also, it explores applications in key reactions, including the hydrogen evolution reaction (HER), oxygen evolution reaction (OER), oxygen reduction reaction (ORR), carbon dioxide reduction reaction (CO₂RR), and nitrogen reduction reaction (NRR). Despite challenges in stability and large-scale preparation, OSEs show great potential in sustainable energy conversion, offering insights for advancing clean energy technologies.