Metal chalcogenide quantum dots for photochemical and electrochemical hydrogen generation: recent advancements and technological challenges.

Abstract

The performance of heterogeneous catalysis, specifically photochemical and electrochemical hydrogen evolution reaction (HER) fundamentally relies upon the prudent choice of catalytic systems with ideal optoelectronic and surface properties. Progressive research in materials processing has hinted at the large-scale applicability of two-dimensional (2D) materials for achieving higher activity in the HER process. Among 2D materials, transition metal chalcogenides (TMCs) have emerged as the advanced materials to enhance the rate of HER on account of their layered structure and chalcogen-sites that exhibit favorable hydrogen binding energies. Developing quantum dots (QDs) is the state-of-the-art methodological approach to tuning the physicochemical properties of TMCs. Herein, we aim to encompass the latest advancements in the TMCs QDs for green hydrogen upscaling with special attention given to the comprehensive understanding of physicochemical properties and experimental benchmarks. Furthermore, we have accounted the major challenges associated with the exploitation of TMCs QDs in HER operations and future perspectives for subscribing to the overall water splitting for hydrogen synthesis in the light of TMCs QDs.