Surface Passivation Engineering for Photoelectrochemical Water Splitting

Surface passivation engineering is an imperative way to improve photoelectrode performance for photoelectrochemical (PEC) water splitting. To the best of our knowledge, it has never been systematically reviewed in a feature article. In this review, we summarize various passivation materials and their preparation, characterizations by PEC measurements and some related spectral technologies. We highlight the features of the passivation effect that separate it from other modifications, such as cocatalyst decoration, and we demonstrate significant progress in combining surface passivation engineering with other interfacial modification strategies for the rational design of photoelectrodes. Ideas for future research on surface passivation modification for improving the performance of photoelectrodes are also proposed.