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Alternatives to Water Photooxidation for Photoelectrochemical Solar Energy Conversion and Green H 2 Production
Author(s) -
Ta Xuan Minh Chau,
Daiyan Rahman,
Nguyen Thi Kim Anh,
Amal Rose,
TranPhu Thanh,
Tricoli Antonio
Publication year - 2022
Publication title -
advanced energy materials
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 10.08
H-Index - 220
eISSN - 1614-6840
pISSN - 1614-6832
DOI - 10.1002/aenm.202201358
Subject(s) - oxygen evolution , water splitting , renewable energy , hydrogen production , materials science , solar energy , solar fuel , hydrogen fuel , photovoltaic system , hydrogen peroxide , hydrogen , process engineering , electrochemistry , chemistry , catalysis , photocatalysis , organic chemistry , biology , engineering , ecology , electrode , electrical engineering
Photoelectrochemical (PEC) water splitting is considered a promising technology to produce renewable hydrogen, a clean fuel or energy carrier to replace conventional carbon‐based fossil‐fuel sources. Nevertheless, the overall solar‐to‐hydrogen efficiency and the cost‐effectiveness of this technology are still unsatisfactory for practical implementation. This can be primarily attributed to the sluggish kinetics of the anodic oxygen evolution reaction (OER) and the relatively low economic value of cogenerated O 2 production. Over the past decades, there are extensive efforts to explore more kinetically favorable photooxidation reactions, which coupled with hydrogen evolution reaction (HER) can simultaneously improve H 2 production yield and produce higher valuable alternatives to conventional O 2 . This review aims to present recent progress on the alternative anodic choices to OER. Here, the fundamental of PEC water splitting and the critical components required for this system are first shortly summarized. Then the benefits and issues of alternative photooxidation reactions including photooxidation of water to hydrogen peroxide, chlorine, alcohol, 5‐hydroxymethylfurfural, or urea oxidation when combined with the concurrent HER, are reviewed and analyzed. This review is concluded by presenting a critical evaluation of the challenges and opportunities of these alternative HER‐coupled photooxidation reactions for solar energy production and environmental treatment.