Addressing the stability challenge of photo(electro)catalysts towards solar water splitting

The efficiency and stability of photo(electro)catalytic devices are the main criteria towards practical solar fuel production. The efficiency of photocatalysts/photoelectrodes has been intensively pursued and significant progress has been achieved over the past decades. However, the development of durable photocatalysts/photoelectrodes remains one of the biggest challenges for solar fuel production. Moreover, the lack of a feasible and reliable appraisal procedure makes it difficult to evaluate the durability of photocatalysts/photoelectrodes. Herein, a systematic process is proposed for the stability evaluation of photocatalysts/photoelectrodes. A standard operational condition should be used for the stability assessment and the stability results should be reported with the run time, operational stability, and material stability. A widely adopted standardisation for stability assessment will benefit the reliable comparison of results from different laboratories. Furthermore, the deactivation of photo(electro)catalysts is defined as a 50% decrease in productivity. The purpose of the stability assessment should aim to figure out the deactivation mechanisms of photo(electro)catalysts. A deep understanding of the deactivation mechanisms is essential for the design and development of efficient and stable photocatalysts/photoelectrodes. This work will provide insights into the stability assessment of photo(electro)catalysts and advance practical solar fuel production.