Photocatalytic Water Splitting: Recent Progress and Future Challenges

TLDR

Water splitting with semiconductor photocatalysts powered by solar energy has long been pursued as a clean, large‑scale fuel source, and recent advances—particularly in cocatalyst development and related materials chemistry—have significantly improved overall performance. The study aims to review the state of the art and outline future challenges in photocatalytic water splitting, emphasizing recent progress in photocatalyst and cocatalyst development. The authors review recent advances in photocatalyst and cocatalyst design, analyzing experimental and theoretical progress to identify remaining challenges.

Abstract

Water splitting to form hydrogen and oxygen using solar energy in the presence of semiconductor photocatalysts has long been studied as a potential means of clean, large-scale fuel production. In general, overall water splitting can be achieved when a photocatalyst is modified with a suitable cocatalyst. It is therefore important to develop both photocatalysts and cocatalysts. In the past five years, there has been significant progress in water splitting photocatalysis, especially in the development of cocatalysts and related physical and materials chemistry. This work describes the state of the art and future challenges in photocatalytic water splitting, with a focus on the recent progress of our own research.