Green hydrogen unleashed: innovative pathways in photoelectrochemical and renewable energy solutions

Abstract

Among the numerous technical challenges in our twenty-first century is to move away from a fossil fuel-based future and toward renewable sources such as green hydrogen production. This review discusses recent advancements in hydrogen production, with a focus on photoelectrochemical methods and renewable energy-based technologies. Specifically, we discuss the effects of phthalocyanine-based dye sensitizers and catalysts required for photoelectrochemical systems to catalyze hydrogen evolution. This review presents the wide spectrum of hydrogen production technologies, encompassing traditional fossil fuel-based methods and advanced techniques such as water electrolysis with renewable energy input. This review examines the operating principles of water electrolysis cells, maps out technological innovation gaps, and explores development opportunities in proton exchange membranes and solid oxide electrolysis. It gives a review of the recent introduction of phthalocyanines into photoelectrochemical cells, with the beneficial effects of the increased light absorption and electron transfer properties leading to better-earned hydrogen productions. A comparative assessment of these materials for other photocatalysts is also presented in the context that they promise to enhance hydrogen production efficiency while reducing energy consumption. Although significant developments in green hydrogen technologies have been made, the review also suggests that there is still a long road ahead for some of these systems before they can be commercially implemented on a larger scale, even after comprehensive evaluation. The future of sustainable hydrogen production is, in particular, much improved by the promise offered through phthalocyanines.