Fundamentals of Green Hydrogen through Photocatalysis

Abstract

Hydrogen gained momentum as a viable alternative to crude-derived fuels. Scalable production of green hydrogen harnessing solar energy emerged as one of the promising sustainable options that can be facilitated by photocatalyst-assisted water splitting. One-step and two-step photoexcitation systems for overall water splitting (OWS) processes gained much importance because of the ease with which they can be scaled up. This chapter gives a profound insight into the fundamental aspects of these systems, along with a broader picture regarding their possible pathway for commercial implementation. Thermodynamic and kinetic requisites of these novel systems have been described in detail and a critical appraisal of the selectivity of co-catalysts in the photocatalytic OWS process is presented. Subsequently, this chapter provides a comprehensive focus on various novel scalability studies like thin film systems, baggie reactors and the solar hydrogen farm project. The ultimate motive of this chapter is to summarize the current state-of-the-art strategies for producing green hydrogen through heterogeneous photocatalysis and the various limitations it possesses that preclude the system from reaching the market so far. By this it will motivate people to develop innovative pathways that would rectify the problems associated with it.