Review
Chemistry, Multidisciplinary
Roozbeh Siavash Moakhar, Seyed Morteza Hosseini-Hosseinabad, Saeid Masudy-Panah, Ashkan Seza, Mahsa Jalali, Hesam Fallah-Arani, Fatemeh Dabir, Somayeh Gholipour, Yaser Abdi, Mohiedin Bagheri-Hariri, Nastaran Riahi-Noori, Yee-Fun Lim, Anders Hagfeldt, Michael Saliba
Summary: This article comprehensively reviews the recent advancements in CuO-based photoelectrodes for PEC water-splitting applications, highlighting their high activity and promising physicochemical properties. Various synthesis methods, characterization techniques, and fundamental factors of CuO-based photoelectrodes are discussed in detail. Additionally, the PEC properties of CuO/2D materials are also evaluated, demonstrating their potential as nanocomposites for photocurrent-generating devices.
ADVANCED MATERIALS
(2021)
Article
Chemistry, Physical
Fatima Zahrae Tijent, Paul Voss, Mustapha Faqir
Summary: Photoelectrochemical (PEC) water splitting is a promising method for hydrogen production using solar energy. However, the efficiency of practical PEC systems is much lower than the theoretical value, mainly due to the lack of high-performance and chemically stable photoelectrodes. InGaN nanowires have shown potential as efficient photoelectrodes, but there is still a need for improvement in order to meet the requirements of commercial applications.
MATERIALS TODAY ENERGY
(2023)
Review
Chemistry, Multidisciplinary
N. S. Hassan, A. A. Jalil, N. F. Khusnun, A. Ahmad, T. A. T. Abdullah, R. M. Kasmani, N. Norazahar, M. F. A. Kamaroddin, D. V. N. Vo
Summary: Hydrogen, considered a promising renewable fuel, is mainly produced from fossil fuels, prompting the need for sustainable methods such as water splitting. Metal oxide semiconductors, particularly post-transition metal oxides like gallium and indium alloys, have shown strong photon absorption and corrosion resistance, making them suitable for water splitting applications.
ENVIRONMENTAL CHEMISTRY LETTERS
(2022)
Article
Chemistry, Physical
Lei Jin, Haiguang Zhao, Zhiming M. Wang, Federico Rosei
Summary: This article summarizes the latest progress in tailoring the materials, structure, and performance of QDs-based PEC H-2 generation, and discusses the impact of specific features of QDs and charge generation and transfer on the performance of PEC devices. Future challenges and opportunities for high-efficiency and stable QDs-based PEC applications are also discussed.
ADVANCED ENERGY MATERIALS
(2021)
Article
Nanoscience & Nanotechnology
Hoang Nhat Hieu, Van Nghia Nguyen, Vuong Minh Nguyen, Thanh Hai Phan
Summary: 3D-ordered porous CdS/AgI/ZnO nanostructures were designed for high-performance photoelectrodes in PEC water-splitting. They exhibited advantages of large surface area, high absorption in visible-light, fast carrier separation and transportation due to a ladder-like band arrangement. The nanostructures were fabricated using a three-stage experiment involving electrochemical deposition, wet chemical method, and deposition-precipitation. The highest efficiency achieved for the CdS/AgI/ZnO nanostructures was 5.2%, significantly higher than other photoelectrodes tested. The improved performance is attributed to enhanced charge separation and transport caused by the unique band arrangement in the ternary nanostructures.
Article
Chemistry, Physical
Yuling Wei, Leshuang Wang, Changlong Chen
Summary: Yttrium doped ZnO nanorod array films grown hydrothermally on fluorine doped tin oxide substrates exhibit enhanced photoelectrochemical water splitting performance, attributed to improved light absorption, increased conductivity, and prolonged carrier lifetime caused by yttrium doping. The yttrium doped samples show higher photocurrent density under illumination compared to undoped samples, making them promising platforms for various photocatalytic applications beyond photoelectrochemical water splitting.
JOURNAL OF ALLOYS AND COMPOUNDS
(2022)
Article
Environmental Sciences
Hyekyung Cho, Hyunku Joo, Hansung Kim, Ji-Eun Kim, Kyoung-Soo Kang, Jaekyung Yoon
Summary: Erbium-doped TiO2 nanotubes exhibit enhanced photo-conversion efficiency and catalytic activity, showing great potential in hydrogen generation and organic wastewater degradation. The study highlights the significant impact of doping conditions on the material's optical and electrical properties, demonstrating the effectiveness of the current electrochemical approach for PEC water splitting.
Article
Electrochemistry
K. Govatsi, G. Syrrokostas, S. N. Yannopoulos, S. G. Neophytides
Summary: Undoped and aluminum-doped ZnO nanowire arrays were prepared using chemical bath deposition technique, with optimal doping concentration at 0.5 at.%. The photocurrent density was significantly increased, possibly due to the promoting effect of Al ions and photoactivation of more sites.
ELECTROCHIMICA ACTA
(2021)
Review
Chemistry, Physical
Khuzaimah Arifin, Rozan Mohamad Yunus, Lorna Jeffery Minggu, Mohammad B. Kassim
Summary: Photoelectrochemical water splitting is an ideal method for clean hydrogen production, but developing photoelectrodes that meet the criteria remains a challenge for commercialization. Titanium dioxide nanotubes, with their one-dimensional structure, have a relatively wide bandgap, limiting light utilization. Various approaches, such as surface modification and band structure modification, have been developed to improve TiO2 nanotubes, achieving high photocurrent density and stability.
INTERNATIONAL JOURNAL OF HYDROGEN ENERGY
(2021)
Review
Nanoscience & Nanotechnology
Irfan Ullah, Akhtar Munir, Ali Haider, Najeeb Ullah, Irshad Hussain
Summary: Sunlight and water are plentiful and sustainable energy resources. The development of artificial catalytic systems inspired by natural photosystems for solar-induced water splitting to produce hydrogen is a challenging task for chemists and energy experts. Despite considerable research efforts, the development of efficient, stable, and economic photocatalysts remains a goal for large-scale hydrogen production.
Review
Electrochemistry
Yibo Zhao, Zhenjie Niu, Jiwu Zhao, Lan Xue, Xianzhi Fu, Jinlin Long
Summary: Sunlight is abundant but challenging to directly utilize with industrial relevance due to its low energy density, dispersibility, and intermittent nature. Converting sunlight into chemical energy and storing it is a valuable measure for sustainable development. Artificial photosynthetic systems (APSs) based on photoelectrochemical devices are ideal for solar-to-hydrogen conversion. This review comprehensively highlights recent developments in photocathodes, discussing architectures, semiconductor photoabsorbers, performance optimization strategies, and advancements in typical photoelectrodes. Additionally, benchmarks and protocols for designing integrated tandem photoelectrodes and PEC systems are discussed for high-efficiency and cost-effective industrial-scale solar-to-hydrogen conversion.
ELECTROCHEMICAL ENERGY REVIEWS
(2023)
Review
Energy & Fuels
Zhiliang Wang, Yuang Gu, Lianzhou Wang
Summary: This paper conducts a comparison and brief discussion on the differences between PEC and PV-EC in terms of efficiency, cost, and stability. It is suggested that PEC should focus on high solar-to-hydrogen efficiency based on cheap semiconductors to maintain its competitiveness in the technological race of sustainable hydrogen production.
FRONTIERS IN ENERGY
(2021)
Article
Chemistry, Physical
Lixia Sun, Jianhua Sun, Xi Sun, Shouli Bai, Yingying Zhao, Ruixian Luo, Dianqing Li, Aifan Chen
Summary: A ternary photoanode of ZnO/CdO heterojunction decorated with reduced graphene oxide (rGO) was fabricated by a simple and effective electrochemical deposition and thermal decomposition method. The photoanode demonstrated improved visible light absorption range and photocurrent density compared to pure ZnO and ZnO/CdO photoanodes. The enhancement is attributed to the architecture of semiconductor heterojunctions and the decoration of rGO nanosheets.
JOURNAL OF COLLOID AND INTERFACE SCIENCE
(2022)
Review
Chemistry, Physical
Sang Eon Jun, Jae Kwan Lee, Sangwoo Ryu, Ho Won Jang
Summary: Single atom catalysts (SACs) exhibit remarkable catalytic activity and excellent atomic utilization efficiency in photoelectrocatalytic water splitting. This review summarizes the representative characterization techniques and recent development in SACs for efficient photoelectrochemical water splitting.
Review
Chemistry, Applied
Shuo Chen, Tianxiang Liu, Zhuanghao Zheng, Muhammad Ishaq, Guangxing Liang, Ping Fan, Tao Chen, Jiang Tang
Summary: This study focuses on the development of Sb2Se3-based photocathodes in photoelectrochemical water splitting, highlighting various architectures and engineering efforts to improve the efficiency of solar-to-hydrogen conversion. The study also discusses future research directions in the field of Sb2Se3-based photocathodes.
JOURNAL OF ENERGY CHEMISTRY
(2022)
