Fundamentals of Photocatalytic Water Splitting

One of the finest methods for supplying the world with sustainable energy in the future, allowing for the creation of environmentally friendly and renewable energy, is the photocatalytic evolution of hydrogen (H2) by splitting water via semiconductors. Designing a high-performance device capable of ensuring effective charge separation and simple transportation is important in order to effectively convert solar and chemical energy. Cocatalysts are therefore key to improving the photocatalytic evolution of hydrogen. To date, a range of cocatalysts, such as carbon-based matrices and, most importantly, graphene, can be used to alter semiconductor photocatalysts to increase reliability, boost charge carrier separation efficiency, and enlarge the amount of light that can be harvested. Carbon materials and nanomaterials can be used to produce environmentally friendly hydrogen by water splitting using photochemical and photoelectrochemical processes, exploiting sunlight as an energy source. Materials composed of carbon and nanomaterials are very successful for photocatalytic separation of water because of their huge surface area, large volume of pores, chemical and thermal durability, and favorable shape. The photocatalytic properties of materials based on carbon, such as graphene and graphene oxide, are explained in this chapter. These materials have the ability to transport electrons, decrease the bandgap, and function as semiconductors, photosensitizers, cocatalysts, and supporting compounds. The production processes, benefits, and drawbacks of carbon-based materials, particularly graphene and its derivatives, as well as their applications in the creation of environmentally friendly hydrogen via water splitting, will also be critically discussed.