Multidisciplinary approaches to solar hydrogen

Abstract

This review summarizes three different approaches to engineering systems for the solar-driven evolution of hydrogen fuel from water: molecular, nanomaterials and biomolecular. Molecular systems have the advantage of being highly amenable to modification and detailed study and have provided great insight into photophysics, electron transfer and catalytic mechanism. However, they tend to display poor stability. Systems based on nanomaterials are more robust but also are more difficult to synthesize in a controlled manner and to modify and study in detail. Biomolecular systems share many properties with molecular systems and have the advantage of displaying inherently high efficiencies for light absorption, electron–hole separation and catalysis. However, biological systems must be engineered to couple modules that capture and convert solar photons to modules that produce hydrogen fuel. Furthermore, biological systems are prone to degradation when employed in vitro . Advances that use combinations of these three tactics also are described. Multidisciplinary approaches to this problem allow scientists to take advantage of the best features of biological, molecular and nanomaterials systems provided that the components can be coupled for efficient function.

Applications of Phosphorene and Black Phosphorus in Energy Conversion and Storage Devices

“…There are four typical routes for photocatalytic solar energy conversion. First, the overall water splitting into H 2 and O 2 represents a typical route for photocatalytic solar energy conversion. Second, the photocatalyts for CO 2 reduction convert light energy into solar fuels with the formation of combustible gases such as CH 3 OH, CH 4 , and CO .…”

Hydrogen evolution from water catalyzed by cobalt-mimochrome VI*a, a synthetic mini-protein

“…Organisms have evolved enzymes that catalyze selective multielectron, multiproton reactions using earth-abundant metals, inspiring the development of related complexes and assemblies for energy-related catalysis 1–3. Hydrogenase enzymes catalyze reversible proton reduction to H 2 in mild conditions with low (or no) overpotential 4–6.…”

Dendritic Tip-on Polytriazine-Based Carbon Nitride Photocatalyst with High Hydrogen Evolution Activity

“…[1][2][3][4][5][6][7][8][9][10][11][12] Polymeric carbon nitride (CN), initially reported by Berzelius and Liebig in 1834, has been found to be a stable organic photocatalyst for the photoredox splitting of water (half-reactions with suitable sacrificial reagents). 13,14 The basic sub-unit would be either triazine or heptazine or even both interconnected through NH-bridges, resulting from the polycondensation of precursors such as dicyandiamide, cyanuric acid, melamine, and urea, with continuous elimination of NH 3 .…”