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Nano Research 2015, 8(1): 56-81 https://doi.org/10.1007/s12274-014-0645-2
Review Article | Issue | Published: 27 December 2014

Enabling practical electrocatalyst-assisted photoelectron-chemical water splitting with earth abundant materials

Show Author's Information Xiaogang Yang1( ),  Rui Liu2,3,  Yumin He3,  James Thorne3,  Zhi Zheng1,  Dunwei Wang3( )
Key Laboratory of Micro-Nano Materials for Energy Storage and Conversion of Henan Province and Institute of Surface Micro and Nano MaterialsXuchang UniversityHenan461000China
Division of Chemistry and Chemical EngineeringJoint Center for Artificial PhotosynthesisCalifornia Institute of TechnologyPasadenaCA91125USA
Department of ChemistryBoston CollegeMerkert Chemistry Center2609 Beacon St.Chestnut HillMA02467USA
Keywords:
efficiency, stability, interface, photoelectrochemical water splitting, earth abundance
Cite this article:
Yang X, Liu R, He Y, et al. Enabling practical electrocatalyst-assisted photoelectron-chemical water splitting with earth abundant materials. Nano Research, 2015, 8(1): 56-81. https://doi.org/10.1007/s12274-014-0645-2
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Abstract Full text About this article

Sustainable development and continued prosperity of humanity hinge on the availability of renewable energy sources on a terawatts scale. In the long run, solar energy is the only source that can meet this daunting demand. Widespread utilization of solar energy faces challenges as a result of its diffusive (hence low energy density) and intermittent nature. How to effectively harvest, concentrate, store and redistribute solar energy constitutes a fundamental challenge that the scientific community needs to address. Photoelectrochemical (PEC) water splitting is a process that can directly convert solar energy into chemical energy and store it in chemical bonds, by producing hydrogen as a clean fuel source. It has received significant research attention lately. Here we provide a concise review of the key issues encountered in carrying out PEC water splitting. Our focus is on the balance of considerations such as stability, earth abundance, and efficiency. Particular attention is paid to the combination of photoelectrodes with electrocatalysts, especially on the interfaces between different components.


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About this article

Enabling practical electrocatalyst-assisted photoelectron-chemical water splitting with earth abundant materials

Show Author's information Xiaogang Yang1( ), Rui Liu2,3, Yumin He3, James Thorne3, Zhi Zheng1, Dunwei Wang3( )
Key Laboratory of Micro-Nano Materials for Energy Storage and Conversion of Henan Province and Institute of Surface Micro and Nano MaterialsXuchang UniversityHenan461000China
Division of Chemistry and Chemical EngineeringJoint Center for Artificial PhotosynthesisCalifornia Institute of TechnologyPasadenaCA91125USA
Department of ChemistryBoston CollegeMerkert Chemistry Center2609 Beacon St.Chestnut HillMA02467USA

Abstract

Sustainable development and continued prosperity of humanity hinge on the availability of renewable energy sources on a terawatts scale. In the long run, solar energy is the only source that can meet this daunting demand. Widespread utilization of solar energy faces challenges as a result of its diffusive (hence low energy density) and intermittent nature. How to effectively harvest, concentrate, store and redistribute solar energy constitutes a fundamental challenge that the scientific community needs to address. Photoelectrochemical (PEC) water splitting is a process that can directly convert solar energy into chemical energy and store it in chemical bonds, by producing hydrogen as a clean fuel source. It has received significant research attention lately. Here we provide a concise review of the key issues encountered in carrying out PEC water splitting. Our focus is on the balance of considerations such as stability, earth abundance, and efficiency. Particular attention is paid to the combination of photoelectrodes with electrocatalysts, especially on the interfaces between different components.

Keywords: efficiency, stability, interface, photoelectrochemical water splitting, earth abundance

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Publication history
Copyright
Acknowledgements

Publication history

Received: 07 August 2014
Revised: 23 October 2014
Accepted: 13 November 2014
Published: 27 December 2014
Issue date: January 2015

Copyright

© Tsinghua University Press and Springer-Verlag Berlin Heidelberg 2014

Acknowledgements

Acknowledgements

This work was supported by Boston College, NSF (DMR 1055762 and 1317280), and MassCEC. R. L. is supported by the Joint Center for Artificial Photosynthesis, a DOE Energy Innovation Hub, supported through the Office of Science of the U.S. Department of Energy under Award Number DE-SC0004993. We acknowledge partial support by the Program for Innovative Research Team (in Science and Technology) in University of Henan Province (No. 2012IRTSTHN021), Innovation Scientists and Technicians Troop Construction Projects of Henan Province (No. 144200510014) and National Natural Science Foundation of China (No. 21273192). D.W. is an Alfred P. Sloan Fellow.

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