EES Blog

We are delighted to share with you a series of collections of recent books, themed issues and articles on the topic of water.  These four collections – one per month – demonstrate different aspects of water: its chemistry, its wide use in reactions and as a solvent, its relationship with energy and sustainability, as well as with human health and the environment.

Image (c) Shutterstock

Here, in our third collection, we have assembled some of the groundbreaking research and transformative reviews related to water and energy – focussing on the relevance of water in dealing with the challenge of energy production and sustainability – from across our journals.

“Water splitting to generate hydrogen fuel remains one the most challenging scientific and technological problems in renewable energy,” comments Professor Michael Wasielewski, Clare Hamilton Hall Professor of Chemistry at Northwestern University, and Executive Director at the Institute for Sustainability and Energy at Northwestern (ISEN).  “This collection of articles highlights a broad array of promising concepts, materials and methods for achieving this goal.”

“This excellent collection of articles highlights more broadly the ongoing interest and high activity around the world in the field of water splitting, solar fuels and the use of water in energy research,” notes Philip Earis, Executive Editor for Energy & Environmental Science, Nanoscale, Physical Chemistry Chemical Physics, Green Chemistry, and Catalysis Science & Technology.  “We are delighted to publish impactful science in this important research area across a wide range of Royal Society of Chemistry journals, as the collection nicely illustrates.”

“This year, as the IPCC prepares to release the final contributions to their Fifth Assessment Report on climate change, it is timely to consider the role of chemistry in addressing global challenges, such as food, water, raw materials and energy,” remarks Professor Lesley Yellowlees, President of the Royal Society of Chemistry. “This collection from our journals shares the latest research from scientists around the world, aiming to tackle these challenges. Featuring original research and commentary by leaders in the field, we hope that you will find this high-quality collection engaging, inspirational and informative.”

You can read all of these articles for free until 11 May 2014! We truly hope you enjoy this collection.

We have already published our collections on the Chemistry of water and Chemistry in water.  Next month, watch out for our final collection on water in health and the environment.

Did you know that the RSC has put together a webpage on Water, which brings together information on activities for scientists, policymakers, educators and young people? Take a look today…

Related book and themed issue

This book and themed issue may be of interest – have a look…

Photoelectrochemical Water Splitting
Editors: Hans-Joachim Lewerenz, Laurie Peter
Copyright: 2013
Print ISBN: 978-1-84973-647-3; PDF eISBN: 978-1-84973-773-9; DOI:10.1039/9781849737739

ChemComm themed issue on Electrocatalytic hydrogen evolution

Reviews and Perspectives

Catalysts made of earth-abundant elements (Co, Ni, Fe) for water splitting: Recent progress and future challenges
Pingwu Du and Richard Eisenberg
Energy Environ. Sci., 2012,5, 6012-6021
DOI: 10.1039/C2EE03250C, Perspective

Plasmonic solar water splitting
Scott C. Warren and Elijah Thimsen
Energy Environ. Sci., 2012,5, 5133-5146
DOI: 10.1039/C1EE02875H, Review Article

Inorganic nanostructures for photoelectrochemical and photocatalytic water splitting
Frank E. Osterloh
Chem. Soc. Rev., 2013,42, 2294-2320
DOI: 10.1039/C2CS35266D, Review Article
From themed collection Solar fuels

Tetrametallic molecular catalysts for photochemical water oxidation
Andrea Sartorel, Marcella Bonchio, Sebastiano Campagna and Franco Scandola
Chem. Soc. Rev., 2013,42, 2262-2280
DOI: 10.1039/C2CS35287G, Review Article
From themed collection Solar fuels

Nano-architecture and material designs for water splitting photoelectrodes
Hao Ming Chen, Chih Kai Chen, Ru-Shi Liu, Lei Zhang, Jiujun Zhang and David P. Wilkinson
Chem. Soc. Rev., 2012,41, 5654-5671
DOI: 10.1039/C2CS35019J, Tutorial Review

Design and development of photoanodes for water-splitting dye-sensitized photoelectrochemical cells
John R. Swierk and Thomas E. Mallouk
Chem. Soc. Rev., 2013,42, 2357-2387
DOI: 10.1039/C2CS35246J, Review Article
From themed collection Solar fuels

Carbon nanofluidics of rapid water transport for energy applications
Hyung Gyu Park and Yousung Jung
Chem. Soc. Rev., 2014, Advance Article
DOI: 10.1039/C3CS60253B, Tutorial Review

Polyoxometalate water oxidation catalysts and the production of green fuel
Hongjin Lv, Yurii V. Geletii, Chongchao Zhao, James W. Vickers, Guibo Zhu, Zhen Luo, Jie Song, Tianquan Lian, Djamaladdin G. Musaev and Craig L. Hill
Chem. Soc. Rev., 2012,41, 7572-7589
DOI: 10.1039/C2CS35292C, Critical Review
From themed collection Polyoxometalate cluster science

Comparison of primary oxidants for water-oxidation catalysis
Alexander R. Parent, Robert H. Crabtree and Gary W. Brudvig
Chem. Soc. Rev., 2013,42, 2247-2252
DOI: 10.1039/C2CS35225G, Tutorial Review
From themed collection Solar fuels

Earth-abundant hydrogen evolution electrocatalysts
James R. McKone, Smaranda C. Marinescu, Bruce S. Brunschwig, Jay R. Winkler and Harry B. Gray
Chem. Sci., 2014,5, 865
DOI:10.1039/C3SC51711J, Minireview

Charge carrier trapping, recombination and transfer in hematite (α-Fe₂O₃) water splitting photoanodes
Monica Barroso, Stephanie R. Pendlebury, Alexander J. Cowan and James R. Durrant
Chem. Sci., 2013,4, 2724-2734
DOI: 10.1039/C3SC50496D, Perspective, Open Access

Advances in the design of ordered mesoporous materials for low-carbon catalytic hydrogen production
David P. Serrano, Juan M. Coronado, Víctor A. de la Peña O’Shea, Patricia Pizarro and Juan Ángel Botas
J. Mater. Chem. A, 2013,1, 12016-12027
DOI: 10.1039/C3TA12453C, Highlight

Solar hydrogen production with semiconductor metal oxides: new directions in experiment and theory
Álvaro Valdés, Jeremie Brillet, Michael Grätzel, Hildur Gudmundsdóttir, Heine A. Hansen, Hannes Jónsson, Peter Klüpfel, Geert-Jan Kroes, Florian Le Formal, Isabela C. Man, Rafael S. Martins, Jens K. Nørskov, Jan Rossmeisl, Kevin Sivula, Aleksandra Vojvodic and Michael Zäch
Phys. Chem. Chem. Phys., 2012,14, 49-70
DOI: 10.1039/C1CP23212F, Perspective

Original research articles

Photocatalytic water gas shift using visible or simulated solar light for the efficient, room-temperature hydrogen generation
Francesc Sastre, Marica Oteri, Avelino Corma and Hermenegildo García
Energy Environ. Sci., 2013,6, 2211-2215
DOI: 10.1039/C3EE40656C, Paper

Modeling, simulation, and design criteria for photoelectrochemical water-splitting systems
Sophia Haussener, Chengxiang Xiang, Joshua M. Spurgeon, Shane Ardo, Nathan S. Lewis and Adam Z. Weber
Energy Environ. Sci., 2012,5, 9922-9935
DOI: 10.1039/C2EE23187E, Paper

Electrochemical water splitting by layered and 3D cross-linked manganese oxides: correlating structural motifs and catalytic activity
Arno Bergmann, Ivelina Zaharieva, Holger Dau and Peter Strasser
Energy Environ. Sci., 2013,6, 2745-2755
DOI: 10.1039/C3EE41194J, Paper

A hybrid energy cell for self-powered water splitting
Ya Yang, Hulin Zhang, Zong-Hong Lin, Yan Liu, Jun Chen, Ziyin Lin, Yu Sheng Zhou, Ching Ping Wong and Zhong Lin Wang
Energy Environ. Sci., 2013,6, 2429-2434
DOI: 10.1039/C3EE41485J, Communication

Interrogating the photogenerated Ir(IV) state of a water oxidation catalyst using ultrafast optical and X-ray absorption spectroscopy
Michael T. Vagnini, Michael W. Mara, Michael R. Harpham, Jier Huang, Megan L. Shelby, Lin X. Chen and Michael R. Wasielewski
Chem. Sci., 2013,4, 3863-3873
DOI: 10.1039/C3SC51511G, Edge Article

Photocatalytic oxidation of water by polymeric carbon nitride nanohybrids made of sustainable elements
Jinshui Zhang, Marek Grzelczak, Yidong Hou, Kazuhiko Maeda, Kazunari Domen, Xianzhi Fu, Markus Antonietti and Xinchen Wang
Chem. Sci., 2012,3, 443-446
DOI: 10.1039/C1SC00644D, Edge Article

Photocatalytic generation of hydrogen from water using a cobalt pentapyridine complex in combination with molecular and semiconductor nanowire photosensitizers
Yujie Sun, Jianwei Sun, Jeffrey R. Long, Peidong Yang and Christopher J. Chang
Chem. Sci., 2013,4, 118-124
DOI: 10.1039/C2SC21163G, Edge Article

Cu₂O|NiO_x nanocomposite as an inexpensive photocathode in photoelectrochemical water splitting
Chia-Yu Lin, Yi-Hsuan Lai, Dirk Mersch and Erwin Reisner
Chem. Sci., 2012,3, 3482-3487
DOI: 10.1039/C2SC20874A, Edge Article

Organic semiconductor for artificial photosynthesis: water splitting into hydrogen by a bioinspired C₃N₃S₃ polymer under visible light irradiation
Zizhong Zhang, Jinlin Long, Lifang Yang, Wenkai Chen, Wenxin Dai, Xianzhi Fu and Xuxu Wang
Chem. Sci., 2011,2, 1826-1830
DOI: 10.1039/C1SC00257K, Edge Article

Passivating surface states on water splitting hematite photoanodes with alumina overlayers
Florian Le Formal, Nicolas Tétreault, Maurin Cornuz, Thomas Moehl, Michael Grätzel and Kevin Sivula
Chem. Sci., 2011,2, 737-743
DOI: 10.1039/C0SC00578A, Edge Article

Cobalt analogs of Ru-based water oxidation catalysts: overcoming thermodynamic instability and kinetic lability to achieve electrocatalytic O₂ evolution
Matthew L. Rigsby, Sukanta Mandal, Wonwoo Nam, Lara C. Spencer, Antoni Llobet and Shannon S. Stahl
Chem. Sci., 2012,3, 3058-3062
DOI: 10.1039/C2SC20755A, Edge Article

Mesoporous g-C₃N₄ nanorods as multifunctional supports of ultrafine metal nanoparticles: hydrogen generation from water and reduction of nitrophenol with tandem catalysis in one step
Xin-Hao Li, Xinchen Wang and Markus Antonietti
Chem. Sci., 2012,3, 2170-2174
DOI: 10.1039/C2SC20289A, Edge Article

Photoelectrochemical properties of LaTiO₂N electrodes prepared by particle transfer for sunlight-driven water splitting
Tsutomu Minegishi, Naoyuki Nishimura, Jun Kubota and Kazunari Domen
Chem. Sci., 2013,4, 1120-1124
DOI: 10.1039/C2SC21845C, Edge Article

Amorphous molybdenum sulfide films as catalysts for electrochemical hydrogen production in water
Daniel Merki, Stéphane Fierro, Heron Vrubel and Xile Hu
Chem. Sci., 2011,2, 1262-1267
DOI: 10.1039/C1SC00117E, Edge Article

Electrochemical water splitting by gold: evidence for an oxide decomposition mechanism
Oscar Diaz-Morales, Federico Calle-Vallejo, Casper de Munck and Marc T. M. Koper
Chem. Sci., 2013,4, 2334-2343
DOI: 10.1039/C3SC50301A, Edge Article

A light-assisted, polymeric water oxidation catalyst that selectively oxidizes seawater with a low onset potential
Jun Chen, Pawel Wagner, Lei Tong, Danijel Boskovic, Weimin Zhang, David Officer, Gordon G. Wallace and Gerhard F. Swiegers
Chem. Sci., 2013,4, 2797-2803
DOI: 10.1039/C3SC50812A, Edge Article

Unraveling the existence of dynamic water channels in light-harvesting proteins: alpha-C-phycocyanobilin in vitro
Hossam Elgabarty, Peter Schmieder and Daniel Sebastiani
Chem. Sci., 2013,4, 755-763
DOI: 10.1039/C2SC21145A, Edge Article

Wilkinson’s iridium acetate trimer as a water-oxidation catalyst
Alexander R. Parent, James D. Blakemore, Gary W. Brudvig and Robert H. Crabtree
Chem. Commun., 2011,47, 11745-11747
DOI: 10.1039/C1CC15501F, Communication
From themed collection Artificial Photosynthesis

Template-free synthesis of Ta₃N₅ nanorod arrays for efficient photoelectrochemical water splitting
Chao Zhen, Lianzhou Wang, Gang Liu, Gao Qing (Max) Lu and Hui-Ming Cheng
Chem. Commun., 2013,49, 3019-3021
DOI: 10.1039/C3CC40760H, Communication

Two-step fabrication of a porous γ-In₂Se₃ tetragonal photocatalyst for water splitting
Ding Wei, Zhengguo Lin, Zhentao Cui, Shuangyue Su, Dingkun Zhang, Minhua Cao and Changwen Hu
Chem. Commun., 2013,49, 9609-9611
DOI: 10.1039/C3CC45598J, Communication

Quantum confinement controlled photocatalytic water splitting by suspended CdSe nanocrystals
Michael A. Holmes, Troy K. Townsend and Frank E. Osterloh
Chem. Commun., 2012,48, 371-373
DOI: 10.1039/C1CC16082F, Communication
From themed collection Artificial Photosynthesis

Mechanisms for proton release during water oxidation in the S₂ to S₃ and S₃ to S₄ transitions in photosystem II
Per E. M. Siegbahn
Phys. Chem. Chem. Phys., 2012,14, 4849-4856
DOI: 10.1039/C2CP00034B, Paper

Synthesis of WO₃@Graphene composite for enhanced photocatalytic oxygen evolution from water
Jingjing Guo, Yao Li, Shenmin Zhu, Zhixin Chen, Qinglei Liu, Di Zhang, Won-Jin Moon and Deok-Min Song
RSC Adv., 2012, 2, 1356-1363
DOI: 10.1039/C1RA00621E

Direct growth of carbon nanotubes on Ni/TiO₂ as next generation catalysts for photoreduction of CO₂ to methane by water under visible light irradiation
Wee-Jun Ong, Meei Mei Gui, Siang-Piao Chai and Abdul Rahman Mohamed
RSC Adv., 2013, 3, 4505-4509
DOI: 10.1039/C3RA00030C

New spinel oxide catalysts for visible-light-driven water oxidation
Franziska Conrad, Matthias Bauer, Denis Sheptyakov, Stephen Weyeneth, Dominik Jaeger, Kathrin Hametner, Pierre-Emmanuel Car, Jörg Patscheider, Detlef Günther and Greta R. Patzke
RSC Adv., 2012, 2, 3076-3082
DOI: 10.1039/C2RA20169K

Enhanced methane and hydrogen yields from catalytic supercritical water gasification of pine wood sawdust via pre-processing in subcritical water
Jude. A. Onwudili and Paul T. Williams
RSC Adv., 2013, 3, 12432-12442
DOI: 10.1039/C3RA41362D