Recent advances in solar light-driven overall water splitting: A comprehensive review.
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| Title: | Recent advances in solar light-driven overall water splitting: A comprehensive review. |
|---|---|
| Authors: | Hayat, Asif1 (AUTHOR), Alghamdi, Majed M.2 (AUTHOR), El-Zahhar, Adel A.2 (AUTHOR), Abu-Dief, Ahmed M.3,4 (AUTHOR), Hassan, Hassan M.A.5 (AUTHOR), Yue, Dewu6 (AUTHOR), Orooji, Yasin1,7,8 (AUTHOR) orooji@zjnu.edu.cn, Guo, Sheng-Rong1 (AUTHOR) guosr9609@lsu.edu.cn, Ali, Hamid1,9 (AUTHOR) hamid422@sziit.edu.cn |
| Source: | Renewable & Sustainable Energy Reviews. Jan2026:Part D, Vol. 226, pN.PAG-N.PAG. 1p. |
| Subject Terms: | *Solar energy, *Hydrogen production, *Photocatalysis, Chemical yield, Visible spectra, Photoreduction, Catalysts |
| Abstract: | Photocatalytic overall water splitting (POWS) offers a viable direction for hydrogen production by directly conversion of solar energy into chemical fuel. Advances in one-step and two-step excitation systems, particularly Z-scheme configurations, have improved charge separation and enhanced the visible-light utilization. The representative photocatalysts such as TiO 2 , BiVO 4 , g-C 3 N 4 , SrTiO 3 , MOFs, and MXenes, combined with heterojunctions, co-catalysts, and defect engineering, have demonstrated enhanced activity, achieving apparent quantum yields (AQY) above 10 % under visible light. Despite these successes, solar-to-hydrogen (STH) efficiencies remain below 2 %, well short of the ∼10 % benchmark required for commercialization. The critical challenges include limited visible-light absorption, short carrier lifetimes, instability under long-term condition, and the difficulty of scaling laboratory-designed systems to practical, cost-effective technologies. Similarly, the emerging strategies, such as surface engineering, spatial charge separation, internal electric field modulation, and bio-inspired water oxidation approaches, offer promising solutions. In addition, time- and space-resolved characterization techniques are providing deeper mechanistic insights into charge dynamics, guiding rational photocatalysts development. Overall, continued innovation in material design and system engineering will be essential to advance POWS from laboratory demonstrations toward efficient, stable, and scalable solar hydrogen production. [Display omitted] • Advances in POWS with one- and two-step excitation systems were explored. • The fundamentals of POWS performance techniques have been illustrated. • Efficiency improved using excitation mechanisms and Z-scheme dual catalysts. • Charge separation is enhanced by interfacial separation, structural detachment, and polarization. • High-performance catalysts identified in labs as candidates for large-scale POWS. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR] |
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| Database: | GreenFILE |
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