Journal
RENEWABLE & SUSTAINABLE ENERGY REVIEWS
Volume 142, Issue -, Pages -Publisher
PERGAMON-ELSEVIER SCIENCE LTD
DOI: 10.1016/j.rser.2021.110866
Keywords
Seawater splitting; Hydrogen; Photocatalysis; Photoelectrochemical cells; Electrolysis; Chloride
Funding
- Research Foundation - Flanders (FWO) [FN 700300001]
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Direct splitting of earth-abundant seawater for hydrogen production faces challenges in selectivity and stability. While direct seawater electrolysis is a well-established technology, light-driven processes like photocatalytic and photoelectrochemical seawater splitting show promise in utilizing renewable solar power. Advances in solar-to-hydrogen efficiencies have been made, reaching around 2% over the past decade.
Direct splitting of earth-abundant seawater provides an eco-friendly route for the production of clean H-2, but is hampered by selectivity and stability issues. Direct seawater electrolysis is the most established technology, attaining high current densities in the order of 1-2 A cm(-2). Alternatively, light-driven processes such as photocatalytic and photoelectrochemical seawater splitting are particularly promising as well, as they rely on renewable solar power. Solar-to-Hydrogen efficiencies have increased over the past decade from negligible values to about 2%. Especially the absence of large local pH changes (in the order of several tenths of a pH unit compared to up to 9 pH units for electrolysis) is a strong asset for pure photocatalysis. This may lead to less adverse side-reactions such as Cl-2 and ClO- formation, (acid or base induced) corrosion and scaling. Besides, additional requirements for electrolytic cells, e.g. membranes and electricity input, are not needed in pure photocatalysis systems. In this review, the state-of-the-art technologies in light-driven seawater splitting are compared to electrochemical approaches with a focus on sustainability and stability. Promising advances are identified at the level of the catalyst as well as the process, and insight is provided in solutions crossing different fields.
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