journal article·2025-06

Shining Light on Hydrogen: Solar‐Powered Catalysis with Transition Metals

Chengyang Feng, Fazal Raziq, Huawei Huang, Zhi‐Peng Wu, Hassan S. Alqahtani, Rawan Alqahtani, Mohammad Z. Rahman, Bin Chang, Jorge Gascon, Huabin Zhang

Advanced Materials· Volume 37· Issue 24
Publisher page

Abstract

Abstract Artificial photosynthesis offers a promising pathway to address environmental challenges and the global energy crisis by converting solar energy into storable chemical fuels such as hydrogen. Among various photocatalysts, transition metal‐based materials have garnered significant attention due to their tunable crystal phase, morphology, surface active sites, and other key properties. This review provides a comprehensive overview of recent advances in transition metal‐based photocatalysts for hydrogen production, with a particular focus on modification strategies and their underlying mechanisms. By systematically classifying these materials, this work highlights effective approaches for enhancing their catalytic performance, including structural engineering, electronic modulation, and interfacial optimization. Furthermore, this work discusses the fundamental principles governing these modifications, offering deeper insights into their roles in charge separation, surface reactions, and stability. Finally, this work outlines future research directions and key challenges in the rational design of highly efficient transition metal‐based photocatalysts for sustainable hydrogen production.
Source: crossref · Quality: baseline

Research context

OpenAlex topics: Advanced Photocatalysis Techniques · Electrocatalysts for Energy Conversion · CO2 Reduction Techniques and Catalysts

SciVX discovery tags are terminology-based. OpenAlex topics are source-provided classifications.

Affiliations

Center for Renewable Energy and Storage Technologies (CREST) Physical Science and Engineering Division King Abdullah University of Science and Technology Thuwal 23955–6900 Kingdom of Saudi Arabia

KAUST Catalysis Center (KCC) King Abdullah University of Science and Technology Thuwal 23955–6900 Kingdom of Saudi Arabia

EXPEC Advanced Research Centre Saudi Aramco Dhahran 31311 Kingdom of Saudi Arabia

References (100+)

Show source-provided references
1. 10.1038/s41893-021-00841-010.1038/s41893-021-00841-0 ↗
2. 10.1039/C9EE03273H10.1039/C9EE03273H ↗
3. 10.1016/j.nanoen.2017.03.01610.1016/j.nanoen.2017.03.016 ↗
4. 10.1039/D0GC00212G10.1039/D0GC00212G ↗
5. 10.1038/238037a010.1038/238037a0 ↗
6. 10.1038/ncomms1323710.1038/ncomms13237 ↗
7. 10.1038/nchem.162110.1038/nchem.1621 ↗
8. 10.1038/s41570-023-00468-z10.1038/s41570-023-00468-z ↗
9. 10.1038/s41467-018-05144-110.1038/s41467-018-05144-1 ↗
10. 10.1038/s41467-023-38123-210.1038/s41467-023-38123-2 ↗
11. 10.1021/acscatal.8b0394510.1021/acscatal.8b03945 ↗
12. 10.1016/j.apcatb.2020.11953910.1016/j.apcatb.2020.119539 ↗
13. 10.1002/aenm.20210338310.1002/aenm.202103383 ↗
14. 10.1016/j.ensm.2022.11.04510.1016/j.ensm.2022.11.045 ↗
15. 10.1002/smll.20200804710.1002/smll.202008047 ↗
16. 10.1002/adfm.20230976110.1002/adfm.202309761 ↗
17. 10.1002/adma.20220018010.1002/adma.202200180 ↗
18. 10.1002/adfm.20200192210.1002/adfm.202001922 ↗
19. 10.1002/adma.20241181310.1002/adma.202411813 ↗
20. 10.1038/s41467-024-53483-z10.1038/s41467-024-53483-z ↗
21. 10.1002/adma.20240674810.1002/adma.202406748 ↗
22. 10.1021/ja048296m10.1021/ja048296m ↗
23. 10.1021/acsenergylett.1c0213210.1021/acsenergylett.1c02132 ↗
24. 10.1002/solr.20200040310.1002/solr.202000403 ↗
25. 10.1016/j.ccr.2022.21451610.1016/j.ccr.2022.214516 ↗
26. 10.1002/anie.20221801610.1002/anie.202218016 ↗
27. 10.1016/j.cej.2020.12447410.1016/j.cej.2020.124474 ↗
28. 10.1002/adma.20220337010.1002/adma.202203370 ↗
29. 10.1021/acs.accounts.1c0059210.1021/acs.accounts.1c00592 ↗
30. 10.1039/D2SC02872G10.1039/D2SC02872G ↗
31. 10.1002/smll.20220606310.1002/smll.202206063 ↗
32. 10.1002/sstr.20210022610.1002/sstr.202100226 ↗
33. 10.1038/s41578-022-00433-010.1038/s41578-022-00433-0 ↗
34. 10.1002/adfm.20210950310.1002/adfm.202109503 ↗
35. 10.1002/adfm.20200923010.1002/adfm.202009230 ↗
36. 10.1016/j.apcatb.2022.12177710.1016/j.apcatb.2022.121777 ↗
37. 10.1016/j.apcatb.2020.11916710.1016/j.apcatb.2020.119167 ↗
38. 10.1002/sstr.20220001710.1002/sstr.202200017 ↗
39. 10.1002/sstr.20220010410.1002/sstr.202200104 ↗
40. 10.1039/C5CS00448A10.1039/C5CS00448A ↗
41. 10.1021/acsnano.3c0035810.1021/acsnano.3c00358 ↗
42. 10.1002/adfm.20200980710.1002/adfm.202009807 ↗
43. 10.1016/j.apcatb.2021.12046910.1016/j.apcatb.2021.120469 ↗
44. 10.1039/D2TA05712C10.1039/D2TA05712C ↗
45. 10.1016/j.isci.2021.10306810.1016/j.isci.2021.103068 ↗
46. 10.1021/acscatal.2c0228210.1021/acscatal.2c02282 ↗
47. 10.1021/acsaem.2c0029610.1021/acsaem.2c00296 ↗
48. 10.1016/j.cej.2021.13014010.1016/j.cej.2021.130140 ↗
49. 10.1021/acs.inorgchem.8b0151710.1021/acs.inorgchem.8b01517 ↗
50. 10.1039/D0TA09756J10.1039/D0TA09756J ↗
51. 10.1021/acscatal.5b0250310.1021/acscatal.5b02503 ↗
52. 10.1021/jp991905610.1021/jp9919056 ↗
53. 10.1039/C8TA05885G10.1039/C8TA05885G ↗
54. 10.1016/j.mtener.2021.10089610.1016/j.mtener.2021.100896 ↗
55. 10.1038/s41586-020-2278-910.1038/s41586-020-2278-9 ↗
56. 10.1016/j.cej.2022.13719710.1016/j.cej.2022.137197 ↗
57. 10.1002/smll.20220134010.1002/smll.202201340 ↗
58. 10.1002/eom2.1229510.1002/eom2.12295 ↗
59. 10.1016/j.cej.2022.13716110.1016/j.cej.2022.137161 ↗
60. 10.1002/solr.20190045610.1002/solr.201900456 ↗
61. 10.1021/acscatal.0c0262610.1021/acscatal.0c02626 ↗
62. 10.1039/D1CP04082K10.1039/D1CP04082K ↗
63. 10.1016/j.jallcom.2021.16038910.1016/j.jallcom.2021.160389 ↗
64. 10.1088/1361-6528/abedec10.1088/1361-6528/abedec ↗
65. 10.1039/D1TA03861C10.1039/D1TA03861C ↗
66. 10.1002/anie.20190966910.1002/anie.201909669 ↗
67. 10.1016/j.ccr.2021.21410310.1016/j.ccr.2021.214103 ↗
68. 10.1002/sstr.20210015510.1002/sstr.202100155 ↗
69. 10.1016/j.electacta.2018.01.04510.1016/j.electacta.2018.01.045 ↗
70. 10.1021/ja407174u10.1021/ja407174u ↗
71. 10.1002/anie.20151064210.1002/anie.201510642 ↗
72. 10.1016/j.jcis.2018.04.06610.1016/j.jcis.2018.04.066 ↗
73. 10.1016/j.apcatb.2020.11985410.1016/j.apcatb.2020.119854 ↗
74. 10.1016/j.apcatb.2021.12018710.1016/j.apcatb.2021.120187 ↗
75. 10.1016/j.apcatb.2020.11942310.1016/j.apcatb.2020.119423 ↗
76. 10.1039/D1TA09053D10.1039/D1TA09053D ↗
77. 10.1038/s41563-019-0399-z10.1038/s41563-019-0399-z ↗
78. 10.1016/j.apcatb.2020.11898510.1016/j.apcatb.2020.118985 ↗
79. 10.1002/solr.20220028610.1002/solr.202200286 ↗
80. 10.1039/C9TA11378A10.1039/C9TA11378A ↗
81. 10.1039/C5MH00046G10.1039/C5MH00046G ↗
82. 10.1021/jacs.2c1102510.1021/jacs.2c11025 ↗
83. 10.1016/j.apcatb.2021.12105410.1016/j.apcatb.2021.121054 ↗
84. 10.1002/adma.20220292910.1002/adma.202202929 ↗
85. 10.1039/D2TA02755K10.1039/D2TA02755K ↗
86. 10.1039/b003297m10.1039/b003297m ↗
87. 10.1007/s12274-021-3587-510.1007/s12274-021-3587-5 ↗
88. 10.1002/anie.20050034610.1002/anie.200500346 ↗
89. 10.1016/j.nanoen.2019.10440810.1016/j.nanoen.2019.104408 ↗
90. 10.1016/j.cej.2019.12208910.1016/j.cej.2019.122089 ↗
91. 10.1038/s41467-020-18679-z10.1038/s41467-020-18679-z ↗
92. 10.1021/nn501994510.1021/nn5019945 ↗
93. 10.1002/adma.20170325810.1002/adma.201703258 ↗
94. 10.1021/acscatal.1c0118710.1021/acscatal.1c01187 ↗
95. 10.1016/j.apsusc.2022.15324910.1016/j.apsusc.2022.153249 ↗
96. 10.1016/j.apcatb.2021.12089310.1016/j.apcatb.2021.120893 ↗
97. 10.1016/j.apsusc.2022.15432910.1016/j.apsusc.2022.154329 ↗
98. 10.1016/j.cclet.2021.07.05710.1016/j.cclet.2021.07.057 ↗
99. 10.1002/cssc.20200245410.1002/cssc.202002454 ↗
100. 10.1002/eom2.1209710.1002/eom2.12097 ↗