Solar Fuels: Approaches to Catalytic Hydrogen Evolution

Abstract

In response to political and environmental motivations to develop alternative energy resources, researchers have taken a variety of approaches to develop solar energy conversion technologies. Solar fuel production is an area of enormous promise where, in analogy to natural photosynthesis, sunlight drives the conversion of energy-poor molecules (H_2O and CO_2) to energy-rich ones (O_2, H_2, and (CH_2O)_n). To realize a solar-driven water splitting device based on earth-abundant materials, new chemistry is needed, including materials for light harvesting and electrocatalysts for fuel production. In this chapter, we focus on molecular hydrogen production catalysts capable of evolving H_2 at low overpotentials. Recent synthetic advances in catalyst design, detailed electrochemical and photochemical studies, and developments in mechanistic understandings are covered.