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Accelerating materials development for photoelectrochemical hydrogen production: Standards for methods, definitions, and reporting protocols

Published online by Cambridge University Press:  31 January 2011

Zhebo Chen ,
Thomas F. Jaramillo ,
Todd G. Deutsch ,
Alan Kleiman-Shwarsctein ,
Arnold J. Forman ,
Nicolas Gaillard ,
Roxanne Garland ,
Kazuhiro Takanabe ,
Clemens Heske  and
Mahendra Sunkara
...Show all authors
Thomas F. Jaramillo*
Affiliation:
Department of Chemical Engineering, Stanford University, Stanford, California 94305-5025
Todd G. Deutsch*
Affiliation:
Hydrogen Technologies and Systems Center, National Renewable Energy Laboratory,Golden, Colorado 80401
Alan Kleiman-Shwarsctein
Affiliation:
Department of Chemical Engineering, University of California–Santa Barbara,Santa Barbara, California 93106-5080
Arnold J. Forman
Affiliation:
Department of Chemistry and Biochemistry, University of California–Santa Barbara,Santa Barbara, California 93106-5080
Nicolas Gaillard*
Affiliation:
Hawaii Natural Energy Institute, University of Hawaii at Manoa, Honolulu, Hawaii 96822
Roxanne Garland
Affiliation:
Hydrogen, Fuel Cells and Infrastructure Technologies, U.S. Department of Energy,Washington, District of Columbia 20585
Kazuhiro Takanabe
Affiliation:
Department of Chemical System Engineering, The University of Tokyo, 7-3-1 Hongo, Bunkyo-ku, Tokyo 113-8656, Japan
Clemens Heske
Affiliation:
Department of Chemistry, University of Nevada–Las Vegas, Las Vegas, Nevada 89154-4003
Mahendra Sunkara
Affiliation:
Department of Chemical Engineering, University of Louisville, Louisville, Kentucky 40292
Eric W. McFarland
Affiliation:
Department of Chemical Engineering, University of California–Santa Barbara,Santa Barbara, California 93106-5080
Kazunari Domen
Affiliation:
Department of Chemical System Engineering, University of Tokyo, 7-3-1 Hongo, Bunkyo-ku, Tokyo 113-8656, Japan
Eric L. Miller*
Affiliation:
Hawaii Natural Energy Institute, University of Hawaii at Manoa, Honolulu, Hawaii 96822
Huyen N. Dinh*
Affiliation:
Hydrogen Technologies and Systems Center, National Renewable Energy Laboratory, Golden, Colorado 80401
*
a)Address all correspondence to this author. e-mail: jaramillo@stanford.edu
b)Address all correspondence to this author. e-mail: Todd.Deutsch@nrel.gov
c)Address all correspondence to this author. e-mail: ngaillar@hawaii.edu
e)These authors were editors of this focus issue during the review and decision stage. For the JMR policy on review and publication of manuscripts authored by editors, please refer to http://www.mrs.org/jmr_policy
d)Address all correspondence to this author. e-mail: Huyen.Dinh@nrel.gov
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Abstract

Photoelectrochemical (PEC) water splitting for hydrogen production is a promising technology that uses sunlight and water to produce renewable hydrogen with oxygen as a by-product. In the expanding field of PEC hydrogen production, the use of standardized screening methods and reporting has emerged as a necessity. This article is intended to provide guidance on key practices in characterization of PEC materials and proper reporting of efficiencies. Presented here are the definitions of various efficiency values that pertain to PEC, with an emphasis on the importance of solar-to-hydrogen efficiency, as well as a flow chart with standard procedures for PEC characterization techniques for planar photoelectrode materials (i.e., not suspensions of particles) with a focus on single band gap absorbers. These guidelines serve as a foundation and prelude to a much more complete and in-depth discussion of PEC techniques and procedures presented elsewhere.

Keywords

Energy generationHPhotochemical
Type
Reviews
Information
Journal of Materials Research , Volume 25 , Issue 1: Photocatalysis for Energy and Environmental Sustainability , January 2010 , pp. 3 - 16
Copyright
Copyright © Materials Research Society 2010

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