Photocatalytic Hydrogen Production

Gian      Luca Chiarello; Elena      Selli

Abstract

The photocatalytic production of hydrogen from aqueous systems is reviewed, stressing the very promising features of the process as an environmentally friendly, perfectly renewable way to produce hydrogen, the ideal fuel for the future. Starting with a brief historical background, the most recent achievements in the field on the basis of both relevant patents and published literature, are discussed here, with particular emphasis on the development of innovative materials able to capture a larger portion of the solar spectrum with respect to traditional photocatalytic materials, and on the different setups and devices which have been developed and tested.

Keywords: Photocatalytic hydrogen production, photosplitting of water, photocatalytic steam reforming, solar hydrogen.