Nanostructured materials for water splitting - state of the art and future needs: A mini-review

Sustainable hydrogen production is the essential prerequisite for an envisioned hydrogen economy. The solar mediated water splitting process, which employs semiconductors that serve as light absorbers and photocatalysts, is a promising approach for the generation of hydrogen. Electrocatalysts have also been widely used as co-catalysts to increase the kinetics of water splitting. This mini-review surveys state-of-the-art electrocatalysts and photocatalysts with nanostructured features, and discusses future requirements in the area of solar-driven water splitting. (C) 2015 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.