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Schematic illustration of the TTA/Pt-WO 3 /TTA/Photonic crystal multi-layered sub-bandgap photocatalytic reactor. UC emission enhancement is analyzed compared the full TTA-UC system, while the ˙OH generation efficiency for photooxidation of pollutants is compared to that of the Pt-WO 3 layer in each combination. Credit: RSC Advances (2026). DOI: 10.1039/d5ra07342a
Solar water splitting is one of the most direct ways to produce green hydrogen using sunlight. However, most photocatalysts and photoelectrodes absorb only a limited portion of solar radiation, mainly ultraviolet and part of the visible spectrum. A large share of solar energy, particularly infrared photons, remains unused. This spectral mismatch significantly limits the efficiency of hydrogen production from sunlight.
Upconversion materials offer a potential solution. They act as spectral converters, transforming two or more low-energy photons into a single higher-energy photon that can be absorbed by a photocatalyst. As a result, water splitting systems could utilize portions of the solar spectrum that would otherwise be lost.
In the article "Upconversion materials: a new frontier in solar water splitting," published in RSC Advances, the authors present a focused overview of how upconversion strategies can expand the photoresponse of hydrogen generating systems. The review analyzes two major approaches:
Lanthanide doped upconversion phosphors, which are inorganic materials typically responsive to near infrared light. Triplet-triplet annihilation upconversion systems, which rely on molecular or metal organic sensitizer emitter pairs and can operate efficiently at relatively low light intensities.
The study also examines how each approach performs under natural sunlight conditions and identifies the most important design considerations for integrating upconversion materials into photocatalytic and photoelectrochemical systems.
The review synthesizes recent experimental studies and device level demonstrations of upconversion assisted solar hydrogen production. The analysis considers several key factors including:
spectral response ranges and excitation conditions
efficiency limitations under solar illumination
chemical stability in aqueous and oxidative environments
integration strategies such as thin films, composite materials, and optical coupling approaches
commonly reported performance metrics including hydrogen evolution rates, photocurrent, and quantum yields
Schematics of the main upconversion mechanisms: (a) GSA/ESA, (b) GSA/ETU and (c) GSA/EMU. Credit: RSC Advances (2026). DOI: 10.1039/d5ra07342a
Key findings
Lanthanide-based upconverters enable near infrared driven photocatalysis but often show limited efficiency under natural sunlight: Lanthanide-doped phosphors can absorb near infrared light and emit ultraviolet or visible photons capable of activating wide bandgap photocatalysts. These materials are chemically robust and stable, but their photon conversion efficiency can remain relatively low under unconcentrated solar irradiation.
Triplet-triplet annihilation systems can operate efficiently at solar light intensities: These systems use sensitizer emitter molecular pairs to generate higher energy photons even at relatively low excitation power. As a result, they have demonstrated promising improvements in hydrogen production and photocurrent generation under visible light.
The two strategies are complementary rather than competing: Lanthanide-based materials offer strong chemical stability and the ability to harvest deeper infrared wavelengths, while triplet-triplet annihilation systems provide higher efficiency at lower light intensities and flexible spectral tuning. Combining both approaches may provide the most effective route to improving solar hydrogen technologies.
Although upconversion is frequently mentioned in broader reviews of photocatalysis, this work provides a dedicated comparison of lanthanide and triplet-triplet annihilation upconversion strategies specifically for solar water splitting. The review highlights the practical conditions under which each approach can improve device performance and outlines key design principles for integrating upconversion materials into future solar hydrogen systems.
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Real world impact
The findings are relevant for several research and technology communities:
Materials scientists developing photocatalysts with improved solar spectrum utilization
Device engineers designing next-generation photoelectrochemical reactors
Energy researchers and industry stakeholders exploring scalable routes to sustainable hydrogen production.
By enabling photocatalysts to use previously unused parts of the solar spectrum, upconversion materials could contribute to higher solar to hydrogen efficiencies and help advance clean hydrogen technologies.
"Upconversion materials provide a promising strategy for expanding the usable portion of the solar spectrum in photocatalytic systems," the authors note. "By converting otherwise unused low-energy photons into useful excitation light, these materials could support more efficient solar hydrogen production."
Publication details Yerbolat Magazov et al, Upconversion materials: a new frontier in solar water-splitting, RSC Advances (2026). DOI: 10.1039/d5ra07342a Journal information: RSC Advances
Provided by Nazarbayev University
— Source: Phys.org (https://phys.org/news/2026-03-upconversion-materials-frontier-solar.html)
