Real-time oxygen measurements expose hidden losses in solar water splitting

A new technique developed at Imperial College London measures oxygen production in real time, revealing hidden losses in solar water splitting. This article has been reviewed according to Science X's editorial process and policies.

Editors have highlighted the following attributes while ensuring the content's credibility: Add to Preferred Sources Journal of the American Chemical Society (2026). Credit: Journal of the American Chemical Society (2026).

The research is published in the Journal of the American Chemical Society. Once enough positive charge accumulated at the material's surface, oxygen generation became far more efficient, with oxygen-production efficiency rising to around 80%.

The same behavior was observed when the reaction was driven electrically in the dark, suggesting it is a fundamental property of hematite rather than something specific to light-driven reactions. The researchers adapted an electrochemical mass spectrometry system into a platform capable of operating under illumination and measuring oxygen production in real time with exceptional sensitivity.

It is amazing to see how multiple techniques together, in this case electrochemistry, operando optical spectroscopy and electrochemical mass spectrometry, can make us rethink our mechanistic understanding of a reaction. Daniele Benetti et al, Linking Oxygen Evolution Selectivity to Water Oxidation Reaction Order on Hematite Photoanodes by Operando Photoelectrochemical Mass Spectrometry, Journal of the American Chemical Society (2026).

Journal information: Journal of the American Chemical Society BA art history, MA material culture.

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