Solar Driven Water Splitting to Hydrogen: An Infinite Renewable Clean Energy for the Planet Earth

In this book the author compiled his noteworthy research contributions in the field of photoelectrochemical water splitting to hydrogen fuel for readers to have a comprehensive picture of this field.  At the dawn of 21st century the process of generating environmentally green hydrogen from water utilizing sunlight in photoelectrochemical cells (PEC) is extremely vital for the ultimate survival of humanity on planet earth.  Hydrogen fuel produces water after combustion unlike fossil fuels which produce greenhouse gases like carbon dioxide and other toxic ones. Research for hydrogen by photosplitting of water has been ongoing for more than fifty years starting from 1972 to date. This book begins with an introduction followed by a detail discussion regarding the daunting problems the hydrogen research is currently facing. The book then offers possible solutions for the efficient and stable photoelectrochemical generation of hydrogen by water splitting using solar cells powered by sunlight.   The Sun supplies to the Earth 1.2x105 trillion joules of energy in every second.  Earth’s ultimate recoverable source of oil, estimated to be 3.0 trillion barrels or 1.7x1010 trillion joules which sun can supply in less than 40 hours.   Hence, photoelectrochemical water splitting which converts solar energy to hydrogen fuel, offers an ultimate alternative energy solution which is clean and renewable.   The direct splitting of water to hydrogen and oxygen in a self-driven monolithic photovoltaic-electrochemical cell (PV-EC) is the key to unlocking energy abundance without harming the planet.  This will also provide an effective method of storing solar energy in the form of hydrogen as a clean energy carrier.     The practical designs and performances of water splitting robust monolithic self-driven silicon photovoltaic driven electrochemical cells are detailed in this book. The fabrication and performance metrics of various semiconducting photoelectrodes towards solar driven water splitting are presented in detail.  Spray pyrolytically synthesized transition metal oxide and mixed oxide electrocatalysts for efficient solar water splitting to hydrogen are also given in this book.