Current trends in strategies to improve photocatalytic performance of perovskites materials for solar to hydrogen production

Photocatalytic hydrogen production via water splitting is one of the favorable technologies for the solar energy conversion to renewable and sustainable energy; however, semiconductor materials under consideration have lower efficiency, selectivity and stability. Recently, perovskites are most demanding semiconductor photocatalysts belonging to very important family of materials and exhibit exceptional visible light response towards photocatalytic application. This review highlights recent developments in perovskite materials and their modification approaches for improved photocatalytic H-2 production. Primarily, the classification of perovskites based on structural developments; in particular, thermodynamics engineering to minimize energy barriers are discussed. Different approaches for fabrication of perovskite materials by metal and non-metal doping, while focusing on mechanism of Schottky barrier and Surface Plasmon phenomenon to improve photocatalytic efficiency are explored. This review also presents band engineering approaches in perovskites such as site substitution, solid-solution formation and nitrification of perovskites to maximize H-2 evolution. Elaboration of layered perovskite and improvement in their efficiency by various fabrication techniques including Z-scheme formation and composite of perovskite with TiO2 and carbon-based composites including g-C3N4 and rGO in terms of multi-component heterojunction based on transfer of electron-hole pairs are critically deliberated. Finally, future perspectives of perovskite materials and their efficiency enhancement approaches for sustainable solar to hydrogen production has been suggested.