Recent Advances in Photocatalytic Water Splitting for H₂ Production

The field of semiconductor photocatalysis technology has garnered significant attention due to its potential to address the dual challenges of energy scarcity and environmental contamination. This technology leverages sunlight to convert water into hydrogen energy, offering a sustainable alternative to fossil fuels. Unlike electrochemical water splitting, which requires conductive electrolytes, semiconductor photocatalysis can utilize fresh or seawater without the need for sacrificial agents. Recent studies have focused on the preparation of co-catalysts through photo-deposition reactions, which are crucial for constructing active sites with high efficiency. However, challenges remain, such as the uncontrollable selectivity of deposition ions and the limited types of co-catalysts. Additionally, the mechanisms of photo-induced carrier conversion between co-catalysts and semiconductor bulk are not fully understood, necessitating further investigation. Despite the use of various bulk semiconductors in photocatalytic overall water splitting (OWS) reactions, the hydrogen evolution rate and solar-to-hydrogen (STH) value remain insufficient for commercial applications.

This Research Topic aims to explore and address the existing challenges in photocatalytic water splitting for hydrogen production. The primary objectives include understanding the specific mechanisms of photo-induced carrier conversion, improving the efficiency of active sites, and enhancing the hydrogen evolution rate and STH value to meet commercial standards. Key questions to be answered include how to control the selectivity of deposition ions, how to design more effective co-catalysts, and how to inhibit electron-hole recombination to improve overall efficiency.

To gather further insights in the field of semiconductor photocatalysis for water splitting, we welcome articles addressing, but not limited to, the following themes:
- Photocatalytic hydrogen evolution materials
- Photocatalytic oxygen evolution materials
- Photocatalytic overall water splitting technology
- New reaction mechanisms of photocatalytic water splitting
- Photocatalytic techniques of nano-semiconductors and their devices
- 2D photocatalytic materials and their devices
- Computational modeling and simulations

We are particularly interested in manuscripts that include reviews and original research, focusing on material preparation, semiconductor photocatalyst design, reactor design, new reaction mechanisms, interface reactions of OWS, and hydrogen-oxygen separation technology.

Keywords: Water splitting, Semiconductor photocatalysts, Photo-induced carriers, Photoredox, Hydrogen evolution reaction

Important Note: All contributions to this Research Topic must be within the scope of the section and journal to which they are submitted, as defined in their mission statements. Frontiers reserves the right to guide an out-of-scope manuscript to a more suitable section or journal at any stage of peer review.