Chapter 11: Introduction to Electrocatalytic Hydrogen Production

In the discipline of environmental science, harvesting clean energy from fuel sources is crucial. Due to the fact that there are significant energy challenges, hydrogen (H₂) has been considered as a versatile energy carrier and its production is critical for environmental sustainability. H₂ can be produced in a variety of ways; however, the two well-established techniques that support industries are the steam methane reforming (SMR) and electrocatalytic water splitting (EWS) processes. In SMR, biofuels and petroleum fuels are typically used as hydrogen sources, producing H₂, with carbon monoxide (CO) and carbon dioxide (CO₂) as the by-products. Therefore, the EWS was established by utilizing water and electricity to produce H₂ with oxygen as a by-product and no toxic emissions or carbon footprint. Based on a literature review, numerous international and regional reports, project reports, research papers, review articles, conference papers, and book chapters related to electrocatalytic H₂ production have already been published. However, this chapter mainly focuses on the global energy demand for H₂ fuel, its electrochemical production pathway, the need for electrocatalysts, fundamental aspects, principles, challenges, and future goals. Additionally, particular attention is paid to recent advances in electrocatalysts, in terms of their methodologies, fabrication, structural properties, electrode preparation, catalytic efficiency, and stability.