Chemistry of Materials Underpinning Photoelectrochemical Solar Fuel Production

Abstract

Since its inception, photoelectrochemistry has sought to power the generation of fuels, particularly hydrogen, using energy from sunlight. Efficient and durable photoelectrodes, however, remain elusive. Here we review the current state of the art, focusing our discussion on advances in photoelectrodes made in the past decade. We open by briefly discussing fundamental photoelectrochemical concepts and implications for photoelectrode function. We next review a broad range of semiconductor photoelectrodes broken down by material class (oxides, nitrides, chalcogenides, and mature photovoltaic semiconductors), identifying intrinsic properties and discussing their influence on performance. We then identify innovative in situ and operando techniques to directly probe the photoelectrode|electrolyte interface, enabling direct assessment of structure–property relationships for catalytic surfaces in active reaction environments. We close by considering more complex photoelectrochemical fuel-forming reactions (carbon dioxide and nitrogen reduction, as well as alternative oxidation reactions), where product selectivity imposes additional criteria on electrochemical driving force and photoelectrode architecture. By contextualizing recent literature within a fundamental framework, we seek to provide direction for continued progress toward achieving efficient and stable fuel-forming photoelectrodes.