Complex multiple-component semiconductor photocatalysts can be constructed that display enhanced catalytic efficiency via multiple charge and energy transfer, mimicking photosystems in nature. In contrast, the efficiency of single-component semiconductor photocatalysts is usually limited due to the fast recombination of the photogenerated excitons. Here, we report the design of an asymmetric covalent triazine framework as an efficient organic single-component semiconductor photocatalyst. Four different molecular donor-acceptor domains are obtained within the network, leading to enhanced photogenerated charge separation via an intramolecular energy transfer cascade. The photocatalytic efficiency of the asymmetric covalent triazine framework is superior to that of its symmetric counterparts; this was demonstrated by the visible-light-driven formation of benzophosphole oxides from diphenylphosphine oxide and diphenylacetylene.

The reduction of CO2 with visible light is a highly sustainable method for producing valuable chemicals. The function‐led design of organic conjugated semiconductors with more chemical variety than that of inorganic semiconductors has emerged as a method for achieving carbon photofixation chemistry. Here, we report the molecular engineering of triazine‐based conjugated microporous polymers to capture, activate and reduce CO2 to CO with visible light. The optical band gap of the CMPs is engineered by varying the organic electron‐withdrawing (benzothiadiazole) and electron‐donating units (thiophene) on the skeleton of the triazine rings while creating organic donor–acceptor junctions to promote the charge separation. This engineering also provides control of the texture, surface functionality and redox potentials of CMPs for achieving the light‐induced conversion of CO2 to CO ambient conditions.

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Bottom‐up synthetic biology is the science of building systems that mimic the structure and function of living cells from scratch. To do this, researchers combine tools from chemistry, materials science, and biochemistry to develop functional and structural building blocks to construct synthetic cell‐like systems. The many strategies and materials that have been developed in recent decades have enabled scientists to engineer synthetic cells and organelles that mimic the essential functions and behaviors of natural cells. Examples include synthetic cells that can synthesize their own ATP using light, maintain metabolic reactions through enzymatic networks, perform gene replication, and even grow and divide. In this Review, we discuss recent developments in the design and construction of synthetic cells and organelles using the bottom‐up approach. Our goal is to present representative synthetic cells of increasing complexity as well as strategies for solving distinct challenges in bottom‐up synthetic biology.