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  • Open Access
  • Review

Modification Strategies of WO3-Based Photoanodes for Enhanced Photoelectrochemical Water Splitting

  • Lu Zhang 1,   
  • Mengnan Ruan 1,2,   
  • Chengyi Wang 1,2,   
  • Li Zhou 1,2,   
  • Zhifeng Liu 1,2,*

Received: 22 Mar 2026 | Revised: 21 Apr 2026 | Accepted: 22 Apr 2026 | Published: 30 Apr 2026

Abstract

Photoelectrochemical (PEC) water splitting, a core technology for converting solar energy to hydrogen, has evolved into a promising approach to mitigate global energy depletion and environmental pollution. As one of the most important photoanodes, WO3 possesses prominent photostability and an appropriately aligned energy band structure. However, its efficiency in PEC water splitting is limited by issues such as the sluggish surface OER reaction kinetics, the limited light absorption range and the recombination of photogenerated carriers. In this review, a thorough overview of promising strategies for WO3-based photoanodes was presented, including morphology control, doping, OER cocatalysts modification, heterostructure construction and surface plasmon resonance (SPR)-enhanced surface modification strategy. Furthermore, we outlined the prospect and outlook of WO3-based photoanodes, along with the corresponding optimization strategies, relevant computational research progress and practical applicability evaluation, aiming to provide meaningful guidance for the rational design and large-scale application of WO3-based photoelectrodes.

 

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DOI
10.53941/dn.2026.100002
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Volume 1, Issue 1
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Zhang, L.; Ruan, M.; Wang, C.; Zhou, L.; Liu, Z. Modification Strategies of WO3-Based Photoanodes for Enhanced Photoelectrochemical Water Splitting. Dynamic Nanocatalysis 2026, 1 (1), 2. https://doi.org/10.53941/dn.2026.100002.
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