The rust challenge -- On the correlations between electronic structure, excited state dynamics and photoelectrochemical performance of hematite photoanodes for solar water splitting

TL;DR

This paper reviews recent theoretical and experimental advances in understanding how the electronic structure and excited state dynamics of hematite photoanodes influence their efficiency in solar water splitting, highlighting key correlations and mechanisms.

Contribution

It provides a comprehensive overview of the latest findings linking electronic properties and charge dynamics to photoelectrochemical performance of hematite, emphasizing new insights into material behavior.

Findings

Correlations between electronic structure and photoelectrochemical efficiency

Insights into charge carrier dynamics and excited state processes

Advances in linking theoretical models with experimental data

Abstract

In recent years, hematite potential as a photoanode material for solar hydrogen production has ignited a renewed interest in its physical and interfacial properties, which continues to be an active field of research. Research on hematite photoanodes provides new insights on the correlations between electronic structure, transport properties, excited state dynamics and charge transfer phenomena, and expands our knowledge on solar cell materials into correlated electron systems. This research news article presents a snapshot of selected theoretical and experimental developments linking the electronic structure to the photoelectrochemical performance, with particular focus on optoelectronic properties and charge carrier dynamics.