Solar Hydrogen Generation: Toward a Renewable Energy Future

Given the backdrop of intense interest and widespread discussion on the prospects of a hydrogen energy economy, this book aims to provide an authoritative and up-to-date scientific account of hydrogen generation using solar energy and renewable sources such as water. While the technological and economic aspects of solar hydrogen generation are evolving, the scientific principles underlying various solar-assisted water splitting schemes already have a firm footing. This book aims to expose a broad-based audience to these principles. This book spans the disciplines of solar energy conversion, electrochemistry, photochemistry, photoelectrochemistry, materials chemistry, device physics/engineering, and biology.

Hydrogen has been touted as the basis of a new and powerful energy economy not reliant on fossil fuels. This book examines strategies for generating hydrogen from sunlight and water in a sustainable way. Authoritative discussions are provided by experts on topics ranging from a description of the solar resource, electrolysis of water, solar concentrator pathway to low cost electrolytic hydrogen, thermal/photo hybrid splitting of water, photochemical water splitting, hydrogen generation at inorganic semiconductor-electrolyte interfaces, to photobiological schemes for producing hydrogen from water. The book culminates with an analysis of a coupled water electrolyzer-solar photovoltaic system for the centralized production of hydrogen. The literature citation is extensive and comprehensive in each chapter and the book provides a broad perspective of the rapid developments in an important aspect of energy science and technology. The material covered is required reading for practioners of solar energy conversion R&D in academia, government, and industry originating from a spectrum of disciplines including chemistry, biology, physics, chemical and mechanical engineering, electrical engineering, and materials science.