Coupling furfural oxidation for bias-free hydrogen production using crystalline silicon photoelectrodes.
basic_science · Level V
Where this comes from
- Record sourced from PubMed, PMID 40108174.
- Also identified by DOI 10.1038/s41467-025-58000-4 and PMC identifier 11923221.
- Licence recorded as CC BY-NC-ND.
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Abstract
To commercialize the technology of photoelectrochemical hydrogen production, it is essential to surpass the US. Department of Energy target of 0.36 mmol h<sup>-1</sup> cm<sup>-2</sup> for 1-sun hydrogen production rate. In this study, we utilize crystalline silicon, which can exhibit the highest photocurrent density (43.37 mA cm<sup>-2</sup>), as the photoelectrode material. However, achieving bias-free water splitting (>1.6 V) remains challenging due to the intrinsic low photovoltage of crystalline silicon (0.6 V). To address this limitation, we replace water oxidation with low-potential furfural oxidation, enabling not only bias-free hydrogen production but also dual hydrogen production at both the cathodic and anodic sides. This approach results in a record 1-sun hydrogen production rate of 1.40 mmol h<sup>-1</sup> cm<sup>-2</sup>, exceeding the Department of Energy target by more than fourfold.