Functional Nanomaterials for Photoelectrochemical Water Splitting

A special issue of Nanomaterials (ISSN 2079-4991). This special issue belongs to the section "Energy and Catalysis".

Deadline for manuscript submissions: closed (31 March 2024) | Viewed by 1560

Special Issue Editor


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Guest Editor
Korea Institute of Ceramic Engineering & Technology (KICET), Jinju, Republic of Korea
Interests: photoelectrochemical water splitting; photovoltaics; nanomaterials; semiconductor; metal oxide; solar energy conversion device

Special Issue Information

Dear Colleagues,

Photoelectrochemical water splitting has emerged as a transformative approach for sustainable hydrogen production, addressing the growing global demand for clean energy sources. Nanomaterials are key factors for enhancing the overall efficiency of photoelectrochemical water splitting because they enable efficient light absorption, rapid charge separation and effective catalytic capability. Semiconduction nanomaterials, such as metal oxides and sulfides, have tunable electronic structures that facilitate light absorption across a broad spectrum. Additionally, nanostructuring provides a high surface area for water reduction/oxidation reactions and promotes efficient charge transport. By coupling these nanomaterials with co-catalysts, the kinetics of the hydrogen and oxygen evolution reactions can be significantly improved.

The present Special Issue of Nanomaterials is aimed at presenting the current state of the art in functional nanomaterials for photoelectrochemical water splitting. Therefore, we have invited contributions from distinguished research groups in the field of photoelectrochemical water splitting based on nanomaterials. We aim to provide a comprehensive overview of the recent progress in the design, synthesis, characterization, and application of functional nanomaterials for advancing photoelectrochemical water splitting devices.

Dr. Min-Kyu Son
Guest Editor

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Keywords

  • photoelectrochemical water splitting
  • nanomaterials
  • green hydrogen production
  • photoanode
  • photocathode
  • catalysts
  • solar energy conversion

Published Papers (1 paper)

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Review

23 pages, 13621 KiB  
Review
Key Strategies on Cu2O Photocathodes toward Practical Photoelectrochemical Water Splitting
by Min-Kyu Son
Nanomaterials 2023, 13(24), 3142; https://doi.org/10.3390/nano13243142 - 15 Dec 2023
Cited by 1 | Viewed by 1425
Abstract
Cuprous oxide (Cu2O) has been intensively in the limelight as a promising photocathode material for photoelectrochemical (PEC) water splitting. The state-of-the-art Cu2O photocathode consists of a back contact layer for transporting the holes, an overlayer for accelerating charge separation, [...] Read more.
Cuprous oxide (Cu2O) has been intensively in the limelight as a promising photocathode material for photoelectrochemical (PEC) water splitting. The state-of-the-art Cu2O photocathode consists of a back contact layer for transporting the holes, an overlayer for accelerating charge separation, a protection layer for prohibiting the photocorrosion, and a hydrogen evolution reaction (HER) catalyst for reducing the overpotential of HER, as well as a Cu2O layer for absorbing sunlight. In this review, the fundamentals and recent research progress on these components of efficient and durable Cu2O photocathodes are analyzed in detail. Furthermore, key strategies on the development of Cu2O photocathodes for the practical PEC water-splitting system are suggested. It provides the specific guidelines on the future research direction for the practical application of a PEC water-splitting system based on Cu2O photocathodes. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Functional Nanomaterials for Photoelectrochemical Water Splitting)
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