Emerging trends in water splitting innovations for solar hydrogen production: Analysis, comparison, and economical insights

The generation of solar H2 emerges as a promising avenue for leveraging solar energy, contributing to mitigating climate change and restricting fossil fuel combustion. The advancement of the hydrogen economy significantly pivots on the production of hydrogen as a fundamental cornerstone. This article furnishes an overview of the available water-splitting technologies for harnessing solar energy as the primary source for hydrogen production, emphasizing the significant solar-to-hydrogen (STH) conversion efficiency. Photocatalytic water splitting, Photoelectrochemical water splitting, and Photovoltaic electrochemical water splitting have been thoroughly addressed over the past five-year period. A comprehensive assessment involves the evaluation and scrutiny of these solar technologies, acknowledging their commercial viability by analyzing key indicators like STH efficiency, robustness, economic likelihood, ecological sustainability, and other innovative attributes.