Material Design for Artificial Photosynthesis using Photoelectrodes for Hydrogen Production

Artificial photosynthesis system for hydrogen production from water involves multiple components that work in harmony converting light energy into chemical fuel. In a photoelectrochemical (PEC) system, this typically consists of light absorber, charge separator, and catalyst. Configuration of each of the components within the system as well as their material’s properties (optical, electronic, or structural) influences greatly the solar to hydrogen efficiency. In this chapter, we provide a brief review of multiple configurations in the artificial photosynthesis system found in the literature, especially those using solid-state photoelectrodes for water splitting. In particular, we focus on properties of the materials which make-up the artificial photosynthesis system and discuss how they affect the performance of the PEC cell. We then follow up by giving some examples from our works and the literature which employ semiconductor photoelectrodes.