Energy crises and global warming pose serious challenges to researchers in their attempt to develop a sustainable society for the future. Solar energy conversion is a remarkable, clean, and sustainable way to nullify the effects of fossil fuels. The findings of photocatalytic hydrogen production (PCHP) by Fujishima and Honda propose that “water will be the coal for the future”. Hydrogen is a carbon-free clean fuel with a high specific energy of combustion. Titanium oxide (TiO2), graphitic-carbon nitride (g-C3N4) and cadmium sulfide (CdS) are three pillars of water splitting photocatalysts owing to their superior electronic and optical properties. Tremendous research efforts have been made in recent years to fabricate visible or solar-light, active photocatalysts. The significant features of various oxide, sulfide, and carbon based photocatalysts for cost-effective hydrogen production are presented in this Special Issue. The insights of sacrificial agents on the hydrogen production efficiency of catalysts are also presented in this issue.

Energy crises and global warming pose serious challenges to researchers in their attempt to develop a sustainable society for the future. Solar energy conversion is a remarkable, clean, and sustainable way to nullify the effects of fossil fuels. The findings of photocatalytic hydrogen production (PCHP) by Fujishima and Honda propose that “water will be the coal for the future”. Hydrogen is a carbon-free clean fuel with a high specific energy of combustion. Titanium oxide (TiO2), graphitic-carbon nitride (g-C3N4) and cadmium sulfide (CdS) are three pillars of water splitting photocatalysts owing to their superior electronic and optical properties. Tremendous research efforts have been made in recent years to fabricate visible or solar-light, active photocatalysts. The significant features of various oxide, sulfide, and carbon based photocatalysts for cost-effective hydrogen production are presented in this Special Issue. The insights of sacrificial agents on the hydrogen production efficiency of catalysts are also presented in this issue.

Photocatalytic Hydrogen Production for Sustainable Energy A complete discussion of photocatalytic hydrogen production, including water splitting, biomass or waste valorization, solar reactors, photoelectrochemical technologies, and more In Photocatalytic Hydrogen Production for Sustainable Energy, distinguished researcher Dr. Alberto Puga delivers a comprehensive exploration of photocatalytic hydrogen production. In the book, readers will find explanations of why and how this technology is called to have a significant impact on cleaner and sustainable production of fuels and find a valuable source of information on the mechanisms of light harvesting and the chemical transformations occurring in these processes. The book explains the technical and engineering approaches currently being used in photocatalytic hydrogen production, as well as approaches that may be used in the future for both commercial and research purposes. A fulsome approach to the subject, covering everything from fundamental aspects of photocatalytic water splitting to waste valorization and solar plant operations, the book also includes: A thorough introduction to sustainability and photocatalytic hydrogen production in the context of renewable energy Comprehensive explorations of water splitting under visible light and ultraviolet irradiation Practical discussions of photoreforming and photocatalytic organic synthesis with convenient hydrogen release Fulsome treatments of photoelectrocatalytic water splitting for hydrogen production Perfect for photochemists and catalytic chemists, Photocatalytic Hydrogen Production for Sustainable Energy will also benefit other chemists, chemical engineers, materials scientists, energy engineers and physicists seeking a one-stop resource on the subject.

This comprehensive book systematically covers the fundamentals in solar energy conversion to chemicals, either fuels or chemical products. It includes natural photosynthesis with emphasis on artificial processes for solar energy conversion and utilization. The chemical processes of solar energy conversion via homogeneous and/or heterogeneous photocatalysis has been described with the mechanistic insights. It also consists of reaction systems toward a variety of applications, such as water splitting for hydrogen or oxygen evolution, photocatalytic CO2 reduction to fuels, and light driven N2 fixation, etc. This unique book offers the readers a broad view of solar energy utilization based on chemical processes and their perspectives for future sustainability.

Photocatalysis and related processes occupy a strategic position for the future of photochemistry. This volume provides an introduction to basic concepts and explains how applications work at the molecular level.

This study reports the role of electrostatics in photocatalysis for optimizing hydrogen evolution from water. Ruthenium deposited/rhodium doped strontium titanate (Ru/Rh(3%):SrTiO3) nanoparticles have been synthesized to demonstrate hydrogen evolution capability. This nanostructured system develops visible light absorptivity after doping with 3% rhodium that further improves after the photodeposition of ruthenium metal particles. The Rh(3%):SrTiO3 nanoparticles obtain an average hydrogen evolution rate of 20 [mu]mol H2 h−1 compared to 42 [mu]mol H2 h−1 after the addition of 1M Na2HPO4 electrolyte. Furthermore, Ru/Rh(3%):SrTiO3 yield an average hydrogen production rate of 22 [mu]mol H2 h−1 without electrolytes and 32 [mu]mol H2 h−1 after the addition of 1M Na2HPO4. All systems are irradiated with visible light and include 0.05M K4Fe(CN)6 as the sacrificial electron donor. Lower production rates for Ru/Rh(3%):SrTiO3 than Rh(3%):SrTiO3 are observed due to particle agglomeration and competing reaction for the reduction of water and oxidized sacrificial electron donor. Surface photovoltage spectroscopy (SPS) measurements confirm n-type semiconducting material. Quenching photovoltages up to 1450 mV for Rh(3%):SrTiO3 and 280 mV for Ru/Rh(3%):SrTiO3 are observed because of ionic screening from adding 0.05M Na2HPO4. Experimental results are evaluated using Coulomb’s Law for electrostatic potential and charge density of a capacitor to analyze photochemical charge separation efficiency.

This self-contained textbook aims to introduce the physics of structurally disordered condensed systems at the level of advanced undergraduate and graduate students. The topics discussed include the geometry and symmetries of the building blocks commonly used to obtain atomic structures, the various kinds of disorder, the phenomenology and the main theories of the glass transition, investigation of the structure of amorphous systems, the dependence of system structure on its dimensions (clusters), and the case of positional order in the absence of translational order (quasicrystals).