Development of photoelectrochemical water splitting photoanode: bibliometric analysis and artificial intelligence advancement

Amid the rapid evolution of renewable energy, the significance of green hydrogen is growing substantially. Hydrogen is the inevitable future of fuel, where its green production remains a challenge. Photoelectrochemical water splitting (PEC-WS) is the most promising green hydrogen production method utilizing the abundance of both Sun energy and water as the main advantages. However, studies scrutinizing PEC-WS from bibliometric analysis and visual perspectives remain scarce. This research endeavors to illuminate the prevailing landscape of PEC-WS via journal visualization analysis and to foster an enriched comprehension of the ongoing trajectory by means of a comprehensive bibliometric evaluation encompassing Scopus bibliometric databases from diverse relevant journals. Our assessment encompassed a corpus of 2903 articles sourced from 72 reputable journals spanning the years from 1981 to August 22, 2023, encapsulating a 42-year period. Over this span, we meticulously scrutinized various parameters including annual advancements, keyword co-occurrence, global participation, funding sponsors, impactful articles, and recent strides in photoanode materials. The findings reveal the growing interest in research in photoanode materials for PEC-WS since 2011. The analysis also identifies key research trends, notably the increasing focus on earth-abundant materials to achieve high solar-to-hydrogen (STH) efficiency. Additionally, this study sheds light on the growing interest in the integration of artificial intelligence (AI) to expedite the development of PEC-WS photoanodes, marking a pivotal advancement in materials discovery and optimization. In the realm of research output, China plays a prominent dual role as both the most contributive country and a leading funding sponsor. We suggest that these research findings are able to influence educational programs, industry reports, policymakers, and funding initiatives.