Photo-Electrocatalytic Hydrogen Production Emphasising Process Scalability

Abstract

Hydrogen is acknowledged as a clean and sustainable energy source due to the increasing demand for renewable energy sources. Photoelectrochemical (PEC) water splitting presents a viable approach for directly producing hydrogen from solar energy with negligible implications for the environment. However, regardless of the intensive studies over several years, a major hurdle to translating impressive laboratory-scale efficiency into robust, dependable, large-scale production of hydrogen is increasing competition from quickly advancing photovoltaic (PV)–based electrolysis technology. In parallel, Z-scheme or S-scheme artificial leaf catalyst systems mimicking photosynthesis are gaining ground in the research community. The performance and reliability of photo-electrocatalytic large-scale hydrogen production should be evaluated via pilot-scale and field studies, along with life cycle and economic studies. In the present manuscript, a comprehensive overview of technologies related to scalability is presented, with a focus on semiconductor materials and reactor design. In conclusion, problems and opportunities for future research on large-scale production technologies are presented.