Breakthrough in Hydrogen Production through Solar Water Splitting: Efficiency Increased by 15 Times
On April 8, 2025, researchers in China announced a significant advancement in the efficiency of hydrogen production from water splitting using solar energy, achieving a 15-fold increase compared to previous methods. This groundbreaking finding was published in the Journal of the American Chemical Society.
Scientists from the Chinese Academy of Sciences’ Institute of Metal Research explained that the process involves using titanium dioxide as a photocatalytic material to decompose water under sunlight, effectively releasing hydrogen gas. This method has been a competitive area of development internationally, but historically, the conversion efficiency has been quite low. The research team focused on enhancing the performance of titanium dioxide photocatalysts under low solar light conditions.
By introducing the rare earth element scandium into the lattice structure of conventional titanium dioxide, the team addressed issues related to atomic-level defects and irregular surfaces in traditional materials. This innovation led to the creation of a new type of semiconductor photocatalytic material. When sunlight hits this new material, it can absorb ultraviolet light photons with an efficiency increase from less than 2% to over 30%. Consequently, the efficiency of water splitting to produce hydrogen under ultraviolet light has been improved by a remarkable 15 times, setting a new record for this material system. It is estimated that a 1-square-meter photocatalytic panel could generate approximately 10 liters of green hydrogen in a day of sunlight.
Looking ahead, the research team’s next goal is to enhance the efficiency of water decomposition under visible light, aiming for levels suitable for industrial application.
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