Nanotechnology for photolytic hydrogen production: Colloidal anodic oxidation

It is widely accepted that the nanomaterials with the most promise for industrial photo-catalytic hydrogen production are prone to disabling photo-corrosion through anodic oxidation upon illumination in aqueous environments. Steps must be taken to either arrest the photo-oxidation of these particular materials, or to develop suitable alternatives which would provide sufficient photo-catalytic activity for industrial purposes. This review article addresses the background of photolytic hydrogen production from water, and examines the theory and current level of research aimed at overcoming semiconductor photo-corrosion. It should be noted that this review does not seek to present technical knowledge outlining synthesis methods or photo-catalytic libraries, rather to outline the recent efforts in semiconductor based nano-systems, being inert metal coatings, Z-schemes, doping of UV-absorbing metal-oxides, and dimensional nanorod structures.