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In the present review, we would like to draw the reader's attention to the polymer-based hybrid materials used in photocatalytic processes for efficient degradation of organic pollutants in water. These inorganic-organic materials exhibit unique physicochemical properties due to the synergistic effect originating from the combination of individual elements, i.e., photosensitive metal oxides and polymeric supports. The possibility of merging the structural elements of hybrid materials allows for improving photocatalytic performance through (1) an increase in the light-harvesting ability; (2) a reduction in charge carrier recombination; and (3) prolongation of the photoelectron lifetime. Additionally, the great majority of polymer materials exhibit a high level of resistance against ultraviolet irradiation and improved corrosion resistance. Taking into account that the chemical and environmental stability of the hybrid catalyst depends, to a great extent, on the functional support, we highlight benefits and drawbacks of natural and synthetic polymer-based photocatalytic materials and pay special attention to the fact that the accessibility of synthetic polymeric materials derived from petroleum may be impeded due to decreasing amounts of crude oil. Thus, it is necessary to look for cheap and easily available raw materials like natural polymers that come from, for instance, lignocellulosic wastes or crustacean residues to meet the demand of the "plastic" market.

Exploring new materials to manipulate luminescent radiation and investigate the interaction of light and matter is one of the most compelling prospects of our century. Supramolecular chemistry has unraveled the opportunity to synergistically combine the chemical and optoelectronic properties of the most diverse classes of compounds. Among these, terpyridines have acted as pivotal ligand units that enable self‐assembly of multicomponent chromophoric systems. In this review we therefore elucidate the metal‐coordinating ability of these materials, that promote a plethora of aggregation‐induced phenomena. In particular, fluorescence tuning, reversible stimuli‐responsive phosphorescence enhancement and low‐dimensional complexation have been demonstrated for carbon and sulfur based terpyridine oligomeric structures. Common thread of such processes is the versatile application of light as a trigger for spectroscopic investigation and output for superior optical, medical and sensing devices. Terpyridine is one of the most intriguing building blocks in the construction of photoactive supramolecular architectures, and light is the perfect tool to investigate their structure and to exploit optical and electronic functions. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]