Hydrogen Generation by Photolysis of Water Vis-à-Vis Other Conventional and Advanced Non-conventional Methods of Hydrogen Production—A Review

To address the world’s energy concerns and make the transition to a sustainable future, hydrogen, as a clean and adaptable energy carrier, has enormous promise. The drawbacks of hydrogen are thoroughly examined in this article, including production-related carbon emissions and security issues. To overcome these obstacles and realize a hydrogen-based economy that contributes to sustainable development objectives and mitigates climate change, interdisciplinary partnerships, legislative interventions, and technological developments are required. Moreover, numerous hydrogen production techniques are discussed, including standard and unconventional ways. In terms of unconventional methods, photocatalytic water splitting stands out as a cutting-edge innovation that makes use of nanomaterials as catalysts to collect solar energy and fuel the water-splitting reaction. The review focuses on the synthesis, characterization, and hydrogen production efficiency of current developments in photocatalytic materials. A thorough overview of hydrogen generation techniques is provided, mainly focusing on photocatalytic water-splitting using nanomaterials. It offers valuable insights for academics, policymakers, and stakeholders looking to promote the integration of hydrogen into a sustainable energy landscape by looking at the color coding of hydrogen production, storage systems, hydrogen utilization, and related issues.