Catalytic Aspects of Light-Induced Hydrogen Generation in Water with TiO2 and Other Photocatalysts: A Simple and Practical Way Towards a Normalization?

摘要

The meaningful comparison of materials for the photo-catalytic production of hydrogen from water is currently barely possible because of the lack of a standardized procedure to evaluate catalysts, hindering progress in the field. Because of its importance for the future economy and in view of increasing societal environmental concerns, the generation of hydrogen has become a crucial challenge. Since the discovery of the electrochemical photolysis of water at a semiconductor (TiO2) electrode surface by Fujishima and Honda, much work has been performed to improve our understanding of the processes involved in water cleavage and to propose improved photocatalytic systems, particularly those operating under visible light, be they based on solid oxides or non-oxides.