Synthesis and control strategies of nanomaterials for photoelectrochemical water splitting

Photoelectrochemical water splitting to produce hydrogen using solar energy can capture and directly convert solar energy into chemical energy, which is an effective way to deal with the current energy and environmental problems. The conversion efficiency of solar energy depends on the performance of semi-conductor photoelectrodes in photoelectrochemical water splitting. This article presents our recent advances in the design and performance control of high-efficiency photoelectrocatalytic materials, followed by the discussion of the strategies employed for improving the performances of photoelectrodes in terms of photon absorption, charge separation and migration, as well as surface chemical reactions.