Unveiling the cutting-edge progress in boosting the photoelectrochemical water-splitting efficiency of BiVO4 photoanode with transition metal-based materials for sustainable hydrogen production.

[Display omitted] • BiVO 4 has emerged as a potential material for photoelectrochemical (PEC) water-splitting. • Key challenges for modification of BiVO 4 were reviewed. • Recent advances in transition metal-based materials doped onto BiVO 4 for PEC water-splittings were reviewed. • Transition metal-based materials doped onto BiVO 4 exhibited higher PEC water-splitting performance than the commercial BiVO 4. • Modification of BiVO 4 effectively reduced the energy barrier, negatively shifted the onset potential, and suppressed the carrier recombination. To address the significant depletion of fossil fuel reserves, hydrogen (H 2) fuel has emerged as a promising alternative energy source due to its eco-friendly nature and impressive efficiency. Over the years, research efforts have led to the development of various methods for producing H 2 , with a particular focus on photoelectrochemical (PEC) water-splitting. Impressively, the interest in bismuth vanadate (BiVO 4) photoanode has been a research focus lately ascribed to its photosensitive characteristic and high electron mobility. Moreover, doping of metals, defects engineering, morphology modification, and synthesis of heterojunction material strategies have been exercised to further improve its PEC water-splitting activity. Consequently, several reviews have been published on the PEC performance of BiVO 4 modified with these strategies. However, to the best of our knowledge, there has been no comprehensive review specifically focusing on the impact of transition metal-based materials on the PEC performance of BiVO 4. In this context, we present a critical review of the recent developments involving the modification of BiVO 4 photoanode with transition metal-based materials for PEC water-splitting. Several transition metals such as nickel (Ni), cobalt (Co), iron (Fe), and tungsten (W) have been used in the recent development of BiVO 4 -based photoanodes. Surprisingly, all of the modified BiVO 4 exhibited a substantial improvement in PEC activity with the photocurrent density at 1.23 V RHE reaching as high as 10.3 mA/cm2 has been reported in a previous study. Ultimately, this review highlights the promising potential of modified BiVO 4 for the PEC water-splitting application. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]