Chinese Journal of Catalysis ›› 2021, Vol. 42 ›› Issue (6): 855-871.DOI: 10.1016/S1872-2067(20)63714-7

• Review •     Next Articles

Research advances of light-driven hydrogen evolution using polyoxometalate-based catalysts

Mo Zhang, Huijie Li, Junhao Zhang, Hongjin Lv*(), Guo-Yu Yang#()   

  1. MOE Key Laboratory of Cluster Science, School of Chemistry and Chemical Engineering, Beijing Institute of Technology, Beijing 102488, China
  • Received:2020-07-22 Accepted:2020-09-21 Online:2021-06-18 Published:2021-01-30
  • Contact: Hongjin Lv,Guo-Yu Yang
  • About author:#E-mail: ygy@bit.edu.cn
    *E-mail: hlv@bit.edu.cn;
  • Supported by:
    National Natural Science Foundation of China(21871025);National Natural Science Foundation of China(21831001);Recruitment Program of Global Experts(Young Talents);BIT Excellent Young Scholars Research Fund

Abstract:

With the increasing concerns to energy shortage and environmental problems in modern society, the development of cheap, clean, and sustainable energy alternatives has been attracting tremendous attention globally. Among various strategies of renewable energy exploration, solar-driven water splitting into its compositional elements H2 and O2 is an ideal approach to convert and store renewable solar energy into chemical bonds. In recent few decades, as an emerging new type of catalysts, polyoxometalates (POMs) have been widely utilized for water splitting due to their versatile synthetic methodology and highly tunable physicochemical and photochemical properties. This critical review addresses the research advances of light-driven hydrogen evolution using polyoxometalate-based catalysts, including plenary POMs, transition-metal-substituted POMs, POM@MOF composites, and POM-semiconductor hybrids, under UV, near UV and visible light irradiation. In addition, the catalytic mechanism for each reaction system has been thoroughly discussed and summarized. Finally, a comprehensive outlook of this research area is also prospected.

Key words: Polyoxometalates, Light-driven hydrogen evolution, POM@MOF composites, POM-semiconductor hybrids, Catalytic mechanism