Researchers at the University of Jyväskylä (Finland) have led an international collaboration to study how semiconductor materials enable the production of green hydrogen through (photo)electrochemistry. Novel atomic-level simulations and precise (spectro)electrochemical experiments reveal the basic mechanisms underlying the hydrogen evolution reaction on a prototypical titanium dioxide semiconductor and support the development of new materials for hydrogen production. The research also identified a previously unknown phenomenon in electrocatalysis: the application of an electrode potential can create local charge centers, polarons, which activate the hydrogen evolution reaction on the semiconductor surface.
