Recent Advances and Techno-Economic Prospects of Silicon Carbide-Based Photoelectrodes for Solar-Driven Hydrogen Generation
Bakranova D. Serikkanov A. Kapsalamova F. Rakhimzhanov M. Mukash Z. Bakranov N.
December 2025Multidisciplinary Digital Publishing Institute (MDPI)
Catalysts
2025#15Issue 12
Silicon carbide (SiC) has attracted increasing attention as a robust photoelectrode material for solar water splitting due to its exceptional chemical stability, mechanical strength, and resistance to photocorrosion. Recent advances in nanostructuring—particularly the development of nanoporous SiC architectures—have dramatically improved light absorption, charge separation, and charge transport in this material. This review summarizes current strategies to enhance the PEC performance of SiC, including hierarchical nanostructuring, defect engineering (e.g., doping to tailor band structure), heterojunction formation with co-catalysts, and incorporation of plasmonic nanoparticles. Remaining challenges are discussed, notably the wide band gap of common SiC polytypes (limiting visible-light utilization) and rapid charge-carrier recombination. In addition, we examine the techno-economic prospects for SiC-based PEC systems, outlining the efficiency and durability benchmarks required for commercial hydrogen production. Finally, we propose future research directions to achieve efficient, durable SiC photoelectrodes and to guide the development of scalable PEC water-splitting devices. This review uniquely integrates material design strategies with techno-economic evaluation, providing a roadmap for SiC-based PEC systems.
co-catalysts , nanostructuring , photocatalysis , photoelectrochemical water splitting , silicon carbide
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School of Information Technologies and Applied Mathematics, SDU University, Kaskelen, 040900, Kazakhstan
National Academy of Sciences of the Republic of Kazakhstan Under the President of the Republic of Kazakhstan, Almaty, 050000, Kazakhstan
Institute of Physics and Technology, Satbayev University, Almaty, 050000, Kazakhstan
School of Materials Science and Green Technologies, Kazakh-British Technical University, Almaty, 050000, Kazakhstan
Miami Solar LLP, Almaty, 050000, Kazakhstan
School of Education and Humanities, SDU University, Kaskelen, 040900, Kazakhstan
Research Group altAir Nanolab LLP, Almaty, 050000, Kazakhstan
School of Information Technologies and Applied Mathematics
National Academy of Sciences of the Republic of Kazakhstan Under the President of the Republic of Kazakhstan
Institute of Physics and Technology
School of Materials Science and Green Technologies
Miami Solar LLP
School of Education and Humanities
Research Group altAir Nanolab LLP
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