ABSTRACT
Electrolytic and photolytic processes are two promising pathways that hold the key to unlocking a greener hydrogen (H2) economy. Electrolytic hydrogen production employs electrolysis, wherein electric current is passed through water (H2O) to split it into its constituent elements: hydrogen and oxygen. Its use of renewable electricity sources like solar, wind, and hydro power make it an excellent clean hydrogen production route. Similarly, photolytic H2 production, which includes photoelectrochemical and photocatalytic methods offers excellent potential to convert light energy to hydrogen, with only oxygen as the main byproduct. In this way, solar energy can be readily exploited for clean H2 production. Despite their excellent potential to contribute to global decarbonization efforts, electrolytic methods require the exploration of novel catalysts, advanced electrolyzer design, and lower-cost materials for improved efficiency. For photolytic H2 production, the development of cost-effective, efficient and stable photocatalysts are vital to attain economical and practical viability. Nanomaterials can be applied as engineered catalysts to address the technological barriers for both electrolytic and photolytic H2 production. This chapter broadly presents some of the relevant advances in the application of nanomaterials, and key insights for future research explorations are highlighted.
