Enhanced photocatalytic water-splitting performance of innovative silicon carbide (SiC) via suppression of photocorrosion and self-oxidation: a mini-review

Abstract

Over the past few decades, there has been an increasing trend toward researching novel photocatalysts for water splitting and protecting the environment from pollution using sunlight. One approach promising for converting solar energy into sustainable hydrogen fuel is solar water splitting using silicon carbide photocatalyst. SiC nanostructures have garnered much attention from researchers due to their unique chemical and physical characteristics for solar-water-splitting applications. Water splitting with the use of solar energy is a clean, environmentally beneficial method that can help overcome the energy issue and make a big contribution to environmental preservation. The development, difficulties, and prospects of employing SiC for water-splitting-based hydrogen production are covered and summarized in this paper. Moreover, self-oxidation, photocorrosion, and electron–hole recombination have all been used to analyze SiC’s photocatalytic performance.

Graphical abstract