title: Hydrogen production with nanostructured and sensitized metal oxides.
abstract: Recent advances in the field of photoelectrochemical cells (PECs) applied to solar water and H₂S splitting and hydrogen production are reviewed with meaningful examples and case studies. At the molecular level, significant recent efforts have been directed towards the development of stable dye sensitizers/water oxidation catalyst assemblies. In the field of photoactive nanostructured materials and interfaces, novel highly ordered semiconductors nanostructures (i.e., anodically grown titania nanotubes) are drawing an increasing interest, under both the fundamental and applicative points of view, due to improved charge transfer kinetics with respect to more conventional sintered nanoparticle substrates. These features, coupled with low cost and ease of fabrication, stand as a good promise for the realization of solar devices capable of solar hydrogen production at a useful rate.
authors.affiliation: Dipartimento di Chimica dell'Università di Ferrara, Università di Ferrara, Via Luigi Borsari 46, 44121, Ferrara, Italy. cte@unife.it
authors.forename: Stefano
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Caramori
authors.forename: Vito
authors.initials: V
authors.lastname: Cristino
authors.forename: Laura
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: Meda
authors.forename: Roberto
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Argazzi
authors.forename: Carlo Alberto
authors.initials: CA
authors.lastname: Bignozzi