Recent Advances in Single-Atom Materials Prompted Photoelectrochemical Sensing

Photoelectrochemical (PEC) sensors integrate light absorptionand electrochemical processes, gaining significant attention due to their high sensitivity, simplicity, and wide application in analyte detection. Single-atom materials (SAMs) consist of individual metal atoms dispersed on a support, providing enhanced catalytic performance, high atom utilization efficiency, and distinctive properties due to their well-defined coordination environments and strong metal-support interactions. SAMs have emerged as a novel material for PEC sensors. SAMs can modulate the optical and electronic properties of semiconductor materials to enhance photocurrent responses, act as efficient enzyme mimics for signal amplification, and provide highly selective binding sites for target molecules, showing great potential in improving PEC sensor performance. This review aims to provide a comprehensive overview of SAM-based PEC sensors, discussing their integration strategies with photoactive materials, their role in PEC processes, and their applications in detecting various target analytes. Furthermore, the future directions of SAM-based PEC sensors are discussed, addressing the challenges and potential developments for practical applications.