Harnessing solar energy with porous organic polymers: Advancements, challenges, economic, environmental impacts and future prospects in sustainable photocatalysis

Solar energy plays a pivotal role in sustainable development and is increasingly fundamental to modern human life. In the realm of sustainable energy resources, porous polymeric materials have emerged as promising alternatives to traditional inorganic materials for photocatalysis. These materials offer unique advantages such as tailored structural designs, high surface areas, diverse monomer compositions, and distinct optoelectronic properties, enhancing their efficiency in harnessing solar energy for catalytic applications. This review explores the significance of solar energy in various photocatalysis domains and examines the fundamental principles of photocatalysis utilizing porous organic polymers, focusing on recent advancements in this field. By clarifying the physicochemical concepts underlying photocatalysis with porous organic polymers, this review also highlights the economic and environmental potential of these innovative materials in sustainable photocatalysis. Recent studies, challenges, and future research directions are discussed, emphasizing the promising role of porous polymeric materials in advancing sustainable energy technologies.