Photoelectric properties of polyoxometalate-based thin films - Recent advances and future perspective

Polyoxometalates (POMs), an important and structurally diverse class of metal-oxide clusters, are intriguing class of versatile inorganic building blocks for the construction of functional materials with widespread applications. In recent years, POMs have been rapidly emerging as composite thin film materials with inorganic nanomaterials, and organic- and metal complex-based light sensitizers, synergistically enhance solar energy photoelectric conversion performance. In this mini-review we highlight these families of POM-based thin-film materials with emphasis on their promising applications in photoelectric conversion devices. (C) 2014 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.