The Role and Recent Progress in Hydrogen Production Using Carbon Dots‐Based Photocatalysts

Hydrogen (H 2 ) is considered a clean and renewable energy source and is widely regarded as an important energy carrier in the future. Photocatalytic H 2 production technology is regarded as one of the most foregrounding means of H 2 production due to its low energy consumption, simple reaction process, and low operating cost. As a semiconductor material with unique photoelectric properties, large specific surface area, and good electronic conductivity, carbon dots (CDs) can be composite with multiple materials, including metals, nonmetals, and other semiconductors, which has practical meaning for catalytic H 2 production using solar energy. This article brings a comprehensive and detailed overview of the development history of CDs in H 2 production within the past 10 years. Various modification strategies are discussed to accelerate the development of this field, including the use of different types of heterojunction‐doped metal/nonmetal/semiconductor hybrids and cocatalysts. Furthermore, the practical application and development bottlenecks of CDs in photocatalytic H 2 evolution have been revealed. Eventually, it emphasizes effective methods to promote the next generation of CDs technology for better development of H 2 evolution.