Applications of Nanoelectrodes in Photoelectrochemical Water Splitting and H2O2 Generation
A special issue of Nanomaterials (ISSN 2079-4991). This special issue belongs to the section "Energy and Catalysis".
Deadline for manuscript submissions: 20 April 2026 | Viewed by 1
Special Issue Editor
Special Issue Information
Dear Colleagues,
Photoelectrochemical (PEC) systems have emerged as a sustainable approach for solar-to-chemical energy conversion, facilitating the direct conversion of sunlight and water into clean fuels such as hydrogen (H2) and valuable chemicals like hydrogen peroxide (H2O2). Since the pioneering research on semiconductor photoelectrodes in the 1970s, ongoing endeavors have focused on enhancing light absorption, charge separation and catalytic efficiency. The integration of nanostructured electrodes, referred to as nanoelectrodes, has revolutionized PEC research by offering high surface area, enhanced charge transport and tunable surface energetics, resulting in improved solar conversion efficiencies.
This Special Issue aims to highlight recent advancements and prospective trajectories in the design, fabrication and application of nanoelectrodes for PEC water splitting and selective H2O2 generation. By bringing together contributions from materials science, electrochemistry, catalysis and nanotechnology, this collection will provide a comprehensive overview of how nanoscale engineering can address critical issues in PEC systems, including stability, selectivity and scalability.
Recent breakthroughs include the development of heterostructured photoelectrodes, atomic-level doping, surface plasmon enhancement, surface modification (passivation overlayer/co-catalysts) and defect engineering to modulate charge transfer and reaction kinetics. Innovative electrode architectures such as 1D nanorods, 2D nanosheets and 3D hierarchical frameworks have shown remarkable potential for driving efficient water oxidation and two-electron oxygen reduction toward H2O2 formation under mild conditions. We invite original research articles, comprehensive reviews and perspectives covering (but not limited to) the following topics:
- Novel nanoelectrode materials and architectures;
- Mechanistic insights into charge dynamics and reaction pathways;
- Co-catalyst and surface modification strategies;
- Theoretical modeling and in situ characterization;
- Scalable fabrication and device integration for solar fuel production.
This Special Issue will serve as a platform to advance the understanding and application of nanoelectrodes in next-generation PEC energy conversion systems.
Dr. Periyasamy Anushkkaran
Guest Editor
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Keywords
- water splitting
- H2O2 production
- photoanode
- heterogeneous catalysis
- homo/heterojunction
- surface modifications
- doping
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