Photoelectrochemical (PEC) and solar thermochemical (STCH) water-splitting represent two promising pathways for direct solar hydrogen generation. PEC water-splitting integrates multiple functional materials and utilizes energetic electrons and holes generated from sunlight to produce hydrogen and oxygen in two half-reactions, while STCH water-splitting couples a series of consecutive chemical reactions and uses absorbed heat from sunlight to generate hydrogen and oxygen in two full reactions. In this Focus Review, the basic operating principles, sunlight utilization, device architecture, reactor design, instantaneous and annually averaged solar-to-hydrogen (STH) conversion efficiency, and the operating conditions and constraints of both pathways are compared. A side-by-side comparison addresses some common sources of confusion and misinterpretation, especially in the evaluation of STH conversion efficiencies, and reveals distinct features and challenges in both PEC and STCH technologies. Furthermore, this Focus Review also addresses materials and device challenges in PEC and STCH for cost-competitive hydrogen generation.
Cheng, Wen-Hui, et al. "Hydrogen from Sunlight and Water: A Side-by-Side Comparison between Photoelectrochemical and Solar Thermochemical Water-Splitting." ACS Energy Letters, vol. 6, no. 9, Aug. 2021. https://doi.org/10.1021/acsenergylett.1c00758
Cheng, Wen-Hui, de la Calle, Alberto, Atwater, Harry A., Stechel, Ellen B., & Xiang, Chengxiang (2021). Hydrogen from Sunlight and Water: A Side-by-Side Comparison between Photoelectrochemical and Solar Thermochemical Water-Splitting. ACS Energy Letters, 6(9). https://doi.org/10.1021/acsenergylett.1c00758
Cheng, Wen-Hui, de la Calle, Alberto, Atwater, Harry A., et al., "Hydrogen from Sunlight and Water: A Side-by-Side Comparison between Photoelectrochemical and Solar Thermochemical Water-Splitting," ACS Energy Letters 6, no. 9 (2021), https://doi.org/10.1021/acsenergylett.1c00758
@article{osti_3015650,
author = {Cheng, Wen-Hui and de la Calle, Alberto and Atwater, Harry A. and Stechel, Ellen B. and Xiang, Chengxiang},
title = {Hydrogen from Sunlight and Water: A Side-by-Side Comparison between Photoelectrochemical and Solar Thermochemical Water-Splitting},
annote = {Photoelectrochemical (PEC) and solar thermochemical (STCH) water-splitting represent two promising pathways for direct solar hydrogen generation. PEC water-splitting integrates multiple functional materials and utilizes energetic electrons and holes generated from sunlight to produce hydrogen and oxygen in two half-reactions, while STCH water-splitting couples a series of consecutive chemical reactions and uses absorbed heat from sunlight to generate hydrogen and oxygen in two full reactions. In this Focus Review, the basic operating principles, sunlight utilization, device architecture, reactor design, instantaneous and annually averaged solar-to-hydrogen (STH) conversion efficiency, and the operating conditions and constraints of both pathways are compared. A side-by-side comparison addresses some common sources of confusion and misinterpretation, especially in the evaluation of STH conversion efficiencies, and reveals distinct features and challenges in both PEC and STCH technologies. Furthermore, this Focus Review also addresses materials and device challenges in PEC and STCH for cost-competitive hydrogen generation.},
doi = {10.1021/acsenergylett.1c00758},
url = {https://www.osti.gov/biblio/3015650},
journal = {ACS Energy Letters},
issn = {ISSN 2380-8195},
number = {9},
volume = {6},
place = {United States},
publisher = {American Chemical Society (ACS)},
year = {2021},
month = {08}}
Arizona State University, Tempe, AZ (United States); California Institute of Technology (CalTech), Pasadena, CA (United States)
Sponsoring Organization:
USDOE Office of Energy Efficiency and Renewable Energy (EERE), Renewable Power Office. Solar Energy Technologies Office; USDOE Office of Science (SC), Basic Energy Sciences (BES)
Grant/Contract Number:
EE0008092; EE0008991; SC0021266
OSTI ID:
3015650
Alternate ID(s):
OSTI ID: 1848682
Journal Information:
ACS Energy Letters, Journal Name: ACS Energy Letters Journal Issue: 9 Vol. 6; ISSN 2380-8195
González-Pardo, Aurelio; Denk, Thorsten; Vidal, Alfonso
SOLARPACES 2019: International Conference on Concentrating Solar Power and Chemical Energy Systems, AIP Conference Proceedingshttps://doi.org/10.1063/5.0029579
Philosophical Transactions of the Royal Society A: Mathematical, Physical and Engineering Sciences, Vol. 368, Issue 1923https://doi.org/10.1098/rsta.2010.0114