Halogen-containing semiconductors: From artificial photosynthesis to unconventional computing

Unconventional computing and artificial photosynthesis seem to be completely unrelated fields of research. However, both technologies try to sustain the development of our civilization despite the flood of information and limited energy resources. In this review, we will show that the same materials – namely organic–inorganic metal halide perovskites and other iodine-based semiconductors – are materials of choice for both fields of scientific and technological activity. This contribution reviews the most up-to-date achievements in the fields of artificial photosynthesis and neuromimetic unconventional computing that utilize metal halide perovskites or other heavy metal-halogen compounds as active materials. Recent advances about photocatalysis and perovskite photovoltaics are also added to demonstrate the versatility of the applications that result from the peculiar geometric and electronic structures of iodine-based semiconductors.