Photocatalytic water splitting
4-5
Technology Description
Photocatalytic water splitting technology includes several approaches that use solar light to drive catalysts to split water into oxygen and hydrogen. Typically, semiconducting materials are activated by light, which induces a charge separated state that generates a potential difference over two electrodes (or within a particle). This potential difference should be enough (>1.23 V) to drive water splitting catalysis. Typical Si, III-V, and CIGS PV-type semiconductors can be used, but also metal oxides, such as BiVO4, Fe2O3, TiO2, Cu2O, and SrTiO3, among other materials. (Co-)catalyst materials are similar to those used in typical electrolyzers (based on Ni, Pt, Ir), but also novel type of catalyst materials are implemented (based on, e.g., Au, NiMo, MoS, Co). Also, the incorporation of molecular dyes and/or catalysts is investigated.
Relevance for Net Zero
Other alternative technologies for hydrogen production from fossil sources with CCS and electrolysis are currently more developed and cost-competitive. However, this technology has the potential to deliver zero-carbon hydrogen, and new processes are at the lab scale which could significantly lower cost and improve efficiency.
Key Countries
Australia, Spain
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