publications

2025

1. AEM

   Advancing Transition Metal Oxide Photoelectrodes for Efficient Solar-Driven Hydrogen Generation: Strategies and Insights

   Abdul Ahad Mamun, Abir Hasan Chowdhury, Asif Billah , and 4 more authors

   Advanced Energy Materials, 2025

   Abs Bib HTML

   Abstract Photoelectrochemical (PEC) water splitting is a promising approach for green hydrogen (H2) generation, leveraging solar energy to produce a clean and sustainable fuel alternative. Transition metal oxides (TMOs) have emerged as potential photoelectrode materials due to their tunable optoelectronic properties, earth abundance, and chemical stability. However, their practical application remains limited by challenges such as narrow light absorption range, inefficient charge carrier dynamics, and sluggish water-splitting kinetics. To overcome these limitations, various enhancement strategies have been explored. This review highlights three key approaches to develop high-performance TMO-based photoelectrodes suitable for industrial applications: (i) element doping, which tailors electronic structures to improve conductivity and charge separation, (ii) integration with graphene-based materials, which facilitates charge transfer and enhances surface reaction kinetics, and (iii) surface plasmon resonance (SPR) and localized SPR (LSPR) effects, which broaden light absorption and generate hot charge carriers. Additionally, this review provides a comprehensive analysis of the fundamental performance parameters governing TMO-based photoelectrodes and discusses future research directions to optimize their efficiency. Combining these strategies holds significant potential for developing scalable, high-performance PEC systems for sustainable hydrogen production.

   @article{https://doi.org/10.1002/aenm.202501766,
     author = {Mamun, Abdul Ahad and Chowdhury, Abir Hasan and Billah, Asif and Karim, Jawadul and Hussain, Auronno Ovid and Rahman, Faysal and Talukder, Muhammad Anisuzzaman},
     title = {Advancing Transition Metal Oxide Photoelectrodes for Efficient Solar-Driven Hydrogen Generation: Strategies and Insights},
     journal = {Advanced Energy Materials},
     volume = {15},
     number = {32},
     pages = {2501766},
     keywords = {green hydrogen generation, photoelectrochemical water splitting, transition metal oxide photoelectrodes},
     doi = {10.1002/aenm.202501766},
     eprint = {https://advanced.onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/pdf/10.1002/aenm.202501766},
     year = {2025},
   }

2024

1. IJHE

   Enhancing hydrogen evolution reaction using iridium atomic monolayer on conventional electrodes: A first-principles study

   Abdul Ahad Mamun, Asif Billah, and Muhammad Anisuzzaman Talukder

   International Journal of Hydrogen Energy, 2024

   Abs Bib HTML

   In a water-electrolysis system for hydrogen production, the kinetics of hydrogen evolution reaction (HER) critically depend on the exchange current density (J0) of the electrode. Noble metals, e.g., Pt, Ir, Rh, and Au, offer a significant J0 when used as electrodes, assisting faster HER. However, instead of using expensive noble metals as electrodes, a thin layer on conventional electrodes, e.g., Ni, Cu, Ag, and Mo, also increases J0. An electrode’s J0 during HER is calculated from the free energy of hydrogen adsorption (ΔGH), which is determined from hydrogen adsorption energy (Ead) on the electrode surface. This work considered an Ir atomic monolayer as an electrocatalyst on the (111) plane of conventional Ni, Cu, Ag, and Mo electrodes, producing modified Ir/Ni(111), Ir/Cu(111), Ir/Ag(111), and Ir/Mo(111) electrodes. This work calculated Ead of the modified electrodes using the density functional theory (DFT). In addition, this work develops an advanced kinetic model for the exchange current density considering the concentration of hydrogen ions (CH+) and partial pressure of hydrogen gas (PH2). The dependence of activation overpotential (ηa) vs. J0 relationship on CH+ and PH2 in HER is investigated. For the modified electrodes, J0 increases by 102–103 times compared to the conventional electrodes, resulting in efficient H2 production with low losses.

   @article{MAMUN2024982,
     title = {Enhancing hydrogen evolution reaction using iridium atomic monolayer on conventional electrodes: A first-principles study},
     journal = {International Journal of Hydrogen Energy},
     volume = {59},
     pages = {982-990},
     year = {2024},
     issn = {0360-3199},
     doi = {10.1016/j.ijhydene.2024.02.156},
     author = {Mamun, Abdul Ahad and Billah, Asif and Talukder, Muhammad Anisuzzaman},
     keywords = {Solar hydrogen generation, Electrochemical cell, Electrolysis, Electrodes},
   }

2023

1. Heliyon

   Effects of activation overpotential in photoelectrochemical cells considering electrical and optical configurations

   Abdul Ahad Mamun, Asif Billah, and Muhammad Anisuzzaman Talukder

   Heliyon, Jun 2023

   Abs Bib HTML

   Photoelectrochemical cells (PECs) are a promising option for directly converting solar energy into chemical energy by producing hydrogen (H2) gas, thus providing a clean alternative to consuming fossil fuels. H2 as fuel is free from any carbon footprints and negative environmental impacts. Therefore, the H2 production, especially directly using sunlight in PECs, is critically important for the rapidly growing energy demand of the world. Although promising, PECs are inefficient and must overcome a few inherent losses in producing H2?the most important being the activation overpotential (?a) required for splitting water. This work analyzes the impact of ?a on solar-to-fuel efficiency (?STF) and H2 production rate (HPR). This work also discusses choosing appropriate photo-absorbing materials based on their energy bandgaps and suitable electrode pairs to achieve desired ?STF and HPR for different electrical and optical PEC configurations. Significant changes are observed in ?STF and HPR when ?a is considered in water splitting.

   @article{Mamun2023,
     author = {Mamun, Abdul Ahad and Billah, Asif and Talukder, Muhammad Anisuzzaman},
     title = {Effects of activation overpotential in photoelectrochemical cells considering electrical and optical configurations},
     journal = {Heliyon},
     year = {2023},
     month = jun,
     day = {01},
     publisher = {Elsevier},
     volume = {9},
     number = {6},
     issn = {2405-8440},
     doi = {10.1016/j.heliyon.2023.e17191},
   }