Efficient Hydrogen Production Research Articles

Electronic Structure Modulating of W18O49 Nanospheres by Niobium Doping for Efficient Hydrogen Evolution Reaction.

Hydrogen, known for its high energy density and environmental benefits, serves as a prime substitute for fossil fuels. Nonetheless, the hydrogen evolution reaction (HER), essential in electrolysis, encounters challenges with slow kinetics and significant overpotential, which elevate costs and reduce efficiency. Thus, developing efficient electrocatalysts to reduce HER overpotential is vital to enhance hydrogen production efficiency and minimize energy consumption. Adjusting the electronic structure of transition metal oxides via elemental doping is a potent strategy to improve the effectiveness of electrocatalysts for hydrogen evolution. In this work, we synthesized a set of niobium-doped tungsten oxides (Nbx-W18O49) under anoxic conditions using a straightforward "one-pot" solvothermal approach. After doping Nb, the oxygen vacancy content inside W18O49 was increased, which induced a synergistic effect with the active sites of tungsten. In acidic environments, the hydrogen evolution activity of the Nb0.6-W18O49 electrocatalyst is second only by 20 wt % Pt/C. It attains a current density of -10 mA cm-2 at an overpotential of 102 mV. By comparison with W18O49, Nb0.4-W18O49 and Nb0.5-W18O49, Nb0.6-W18O49 demonstrates a reduced charge transfer resistance, which significantly enhances its conductivity and the speed of electron movement across interfaces. Coupled with this feature are notably faster HER kinetics. Additionally, it exhibits excellent stability, meaning it maintains its performance and structural integrity over prolonged periods and under various operational conditions. This article provides a new perspective for discovering inexpensive and efficient hydrogen evolution electrocatalyst materials.

3D NiCoW Metallic Compound Nano-Network Structure Catalytic Material for Urea Oxidation

Urea shows promise as an alternative substrate to water oxidation in electrolyzers, and replacing OER with the Urea Oxidation Reaction (UOR, theoretical potential of 0.37 V vs. RHE) can significantly increase hydrogen production efficiency. Additionally, the decomposition of urea can help reduce environmental pollution. This paper improves the inherent activity of catalytic materials through morphology and electronic modulation by incorporating tungsten (W), which accelerates electron transfer, enhances the electronic structure of neighboring atoms to create a synergistic effect, and regulates the adsorption process of active sites and intermediates. NiCoW catalytic materials with an ultra-thin nanosheet structure were prepared using an ultrasonic-assisted NaBH4 reduction method. The results show that during the OER process, NiCoW catalytic materials have a potential of only 1.53 V at a current density of 10 mA/cm2, while the UOR process under the same conditions requires a lower potential of 1.31 V, demonstrating superior catalytic performance. In a mixed electrolyte of 1 M KOH and 0.5 M urea, overall water splitting also shows excellent performance. Therefore, the designed NiCoW electrocatalyst, with its high catalytic activity, provides valuable insights for enhancing the efficiency of water electrolysis for hydrogen production and holds practical research significance.

Efficient Water Reforming of Biomass to H2 via Well‐Organized Redox‐Neutral Cleavage of C−C, O−H and C−H Bonds

AbstractHydrogen (H2) is a clean and environmentally friendly energy carrier. The depletion of fossil fuels makes renewable H2 production highly desirable. Water reforming of renewable biomass to hydrogen, with a relay of natural photosynthesis to biomass, would be an indirect pathway to realize the ideal but extremely challenging photocatalytic overall water splitting to hydrogen, with favorable thermodynamics. Since the seminal work of water reforming of biomass in 1980, great endeavors have been made. Nevertheless, hitherto, the entire kinetic pathway has been elusive, which seriously limits the reforming processes. Using a designed well‐organized redox‐neutral cleavage of C−C, O−H and C−H bonds enabled by photoelectrocatalysis, here, we show the efficient water reforming of biomass to hydrogen at room temperature, with a yield up to 93 %. The clear insights into the kinetic pathway with oxidation of carbon radicals to carbon cations as the indicated rate‐determining step, would cast brightness for efficient and sustainable hydrogen production to accelerate the hydrogen economy.

Enabling Efficient Oxygen Evolution via Anchoring Carbon-Layer-Confined RuOx on a Well-Matched Substrate.

Oxygen evolution reaction (OER) is a multistep proton-coupled four-electron process with sluggish kinetics, which seriously limits the hydrogen production efficiency, thus it is of great importance to develop an efficient and stable OER catalyst. In this study, a two-step differential pyrolysis strategy is employed to design a three-dimensional porous microstructured material consisting of RuOx nanoparticles coated by a thin-layer carbon, where the active particles were isolated in separate chambers and the RuOx nanoparticles mainly existed in the form of a heterogeneous interface between RuO2 and partial metallic Ru. The preparation parameters of the catalysts are optimized via combining transient and steady-state polarization properties, and the target catalyst Cat-500-1.5t shows the best OER catalytic performance after ca. 60 h of a chronopotentiometry test in an acidic medium with a much smaller performance change than other samples. The unique design of adopting a carbon layer to form separate reaction chambers largely mitigates the excessive oxidation loss of the active components under strong oxidation potential. The suitability of the catalyst with the loaded substrate and test media is explored, and in an acidic medium, the carbon paper is much better than the titanium fiber, while in an alkaline medium, the titanium fiber is obviously superior to the carbon paper. On both carbon paper and titanium fiber, the performance in an alkaline medium outperforms that in an acidic medium, and the possible reasons for the performance difference are analyzed. Herein, to obtain the actual electrocatalytic performance, the optimal design of the catalyst structure and matching suitable conductive substrate in a specific medium are quite necessary, which provides a feasible strategy for the acquisition of efficient and stable electrocatalysts and the desirable presentation of performance.

Sustainable Hydrogen Production by Glycerol and Monosaccharides Catalytic Acceptorless Dehydrogenation (AD) in Homogeneous Phase.

In the quest for sustainable hydrogen production, the use of biomass-derived feedstock is gaining importance. Acceptorless Dehydrogenation (AD) in the presence of efficient and selective catalysts has been explored worldwide as a suitable method to produce hydrogen from hydrogen-rich simple organic molecules. Among these, glycerol and sugars have the advantage of being cheap, abundant, and obtainable from fatty acid basic hydrolysis (biodiesel industry) and from biomass by biochemical and thermochemical processing, respectively. Although heterogeneous catalysts are more widely used for hydrogen production from biomass-based feedstock, the harsh reaction conditions applied limit applicability due to deactivation of active sites due to coking of carbonaceous materials. Moreover, heterogeneous catalyst are more difficult to fine-tune than homogeneous counterparts, and the latter also allow for high process selectivities under milder conditions. The present Concept article summarizes the main features of the most active homogeneous catalysts reported for glycerol and monosaccharides AD. In order to directly compare hydrogen production efficiencies, the choice of literature works was limited to reports where hydrogen was clearly quantified by yields and turnover numbers (TONs). The types of transition metals and ligands is discussed, together with a perspective view on future challenges of homogeneous AD reactions for practical applications.

Hydrogen production efficiency enhancement for alkaline water electrolyzers operating at varying temperature via an adaptive multi-mode control

The low-load efficiency performance of alkaline water electrolyzers (AWEs) is poor so its operation range is limited. It is unfeasible for AWEs to follow the fluctuant renewable energy sources (RESs). Besides, the power fluctuation will lead to the electrolyzer temperature variation. The efficiency performance is negatively influenced. Focusing on these problems, an efficiency enhancement control strategy for AWEs operating at varying temperature is introduced in this paper. First, the efficiency model of AWEs is established. Then, a multi-mode adaptive control strategy is proposed to improve the hydrogen production efficiency of AWEs. Based on the U–I curves of AWEs, parameter identification method is used to obtain the key parameters of proposed efficiency model. Finally, the feasibility of the control strategy is experimentally validated on a 10 kW AWE. The experimental outcome shows that by applying the proposed method, the low-load hydrogen production efficiency of AWEs can be improved at different temperatures. At 15% rated load, the electrolyzer efficiency increases from 21.54% to 42.73% at 80°C. The operation range of the electrolyzer can be extended from 30% to 100%–21%∼100% of rated load at 80°C.© 2024 The Authors. Published by Elsevier Ltd.

Porous and defective NiCo2O4 spinel derived from bimetallic NiCo-based Prussian blue analogue for enhanced hydrogen production via the urea electro-oxidation reaction

The efficient hydrogen production via overall water splitting is seriously restrained by the slow kinetics of the oxygen evolution reaction (OER). The substantially low potential for the urea electro-oxidation reaction (UOR) can tackle this problem by replacing the OER at the electrolyzer anode. Herein, the NiCo2O4 spinel with rich oxygen vacancies (Ov) and embedded within mesoporous carbon network (Ov-NiCo2O4@mC) was derived from NiCo-based Prussian blue analogous (NiCo PBA) and exploited as the bifunctional electrocatalyst of the UOR and OER for boost the hydrogen production via the overall water splitting. Benefiting to the regular skeleton and abundant dual metal sites of NiCo PBA, the derived Ov-NiCo2O4@mC comprises abundant oxygen vacancies, lattice defects, and adjustable electron structure. These features afford Ov-NiCo2O4@mC the improved UOR ability, showing the potential of 1.33 V versus reversible hydrogen electrode (RHE) at the current density of 10 mA cm−2, along with a small Tafel slopes of 31 mV dec-1, remarkably lower than that of the OER (1.51 V versus RHE, Tafel slope = 85 mV dec-1). The UOR performance of Ov-NiCo2O4@mC substantially outperforms to most of the reported Co and/or Ni-based electrocatalysts. Impressively, the assembled two-electrode urea-assisted overall water splitting device shows the small voltage for the hydrogen production (1.43 V versus RHE) and good long-term stability. The present work can provide a new alternative for the efficient hydrogen production using the MOFs-derivatives.

Transition metal-modified armchair graphene network for high-performance hydrogen evolution reaction catalysts

This study explores the structural, electronic, and catalytic properties of armchair hexagonal graphene networks (AHGN) modified with single transition metal (TM) atoms from Period V. Substitutions of Ag, Mo, Nb, Pd, Rh, Ru, Tc, Y, and Zr were investigated, revealing significant changes in bond lengths, bond angles, and dihedral angles. The binding energies indicate that TM substitutions do not drastically destabilize AHGN, suggesting potential applications requiring modified electronic properties. Electronic investigations showed that TM substitutions influence the partial density of states (PDOS) and energy gaps (ΔE), with Tc significantly reducing ΔE, indicating a shift towards metallic behavior. Mulliken charge analysis highlighted the electron density redistribution around TM atoms and edge carbons, enhancing electronic conductivity and chemical reactivity. Based on the results, AHGN-Rh-H, AHGN-Pd-H, and AHGN-Mo-H demonstrate the most efficient catalytic performance for the hydrogen evolution reaction (HER), with ΔG values comparable to platinum, underscoring their potential for practical hydrogen production applications. Conversely, materials like AHGN-Nb-H and AHGN-Zr-H exhibit higher ΔG values, indicating lower efficiency for HER. Global reactivity parameters (GRPs) analysis revealed AHGN-Tc with the most negative chemical potential (−4.010 eV) and highest electronegativity (4.010 eV), indicating strong electron-accepting and electron-attracting abilities. These findings underscore the potential of TM-substituted AHGN for advanced electronic applications and efficient hydrogen production.

NiMo/NiFe-LDH heterostructured electrocatalyst for hydrogen production from water electrolysis

Constructing low-cost and efficient catalysts for electrocatalytic water splitting to produce hydrogen is of great significance. In this study, we successfully prepared NiMo/NiFe-LDH electrocatalysts with abundant coupled interfaces using a hydrothermal method and electrodeposition. The synergistic effect between the NiMo alloy and NiFe-LDH nanosheets induces charge redistribution at the interface and accelerates charge transfer, thus improving reaction kinetics and enhancing electrocatalytic performance. Experimental results show that at a current density of 10 mA cm−2, the HER overpotential of NiMo/NiFe-LDH is 35 mV, demonstrating excellent water-splitting performance. This work provides insights into the development of alloy/transition metal hydroxides for efficient water-splitting hydrogen production

Performance evaluation and multi-objective optimization of hydrogen-based integrated energy systems driven by renewable energy sources

This study proposes an integrated energy system using hydrogen storage to realize the efficient utilization of renewable energy sources and reduce the fluctuation when renewable energy is connected to grid. The system utilizes solar and wind energy to realize hydrogen production, desalination, and CCHP. First, the energy, exergy, and economic evaluations for the proposed system are carried out, and then an in-depth analysis of the key operating parameters is performed. The system achieves energy efficiency, exergy efficiency, and cost rate of 48.49%, 19.98%, and 7.969$/h, respectively. And the exergy analysis shows that the main exergy destructions are caused by the parabolic trough solar collector and the transcritical CO2 power cycle. The parametric analysis demonstrates when solar radiation flux and wind speed increase, the exergy efficiency and hydrogen production are increased, but the cost rate is increased accordingly. Finally, two sets of multi-objective optimization schemes are performed combining the artificial neural network with the non-dominant genetic algorithm-Ⅱ(NSGA-II). For the optimized fresh water output, cost rate, and exergy efficiency, it is achieving improvements of 51.73%, 8.4%, and 3.6%, and for the optimized hydrogen production, cost rate, and exergy efficiency, it is increased by 12.53%, 0.564%, and 0.75%, respectively.

Dual-Functional Cu-Fe Co-Doped TiO₂ Photocatalyst for Efficient Hydrogen Production and Phenol Degradation

Dual-Functional Cu-Fe Co-Doped TiO₂ Photocatalyst for Efficient Hydrogen Production and Phenol Degradation

Au/Ag@ZnS yolk-shell photocatalysts enhanced with noble metals and hyaluronic acid for efficient hydrogen production in rheumatoid arthritis therapy

Rheumatoid arthritis, characterized by the abnormal proliferation of synovial cells and extensive macrophage infiltration, is a chronic inflammatory disease. Molecular hydrogen, known for its antioxidant properties, has shown promise in eliminating reactive oxygen species. However, the low solubility and bioavailability of hydrogen limit the effectiveness of this therapy. To overcome these issues, we developed a novel yolk-shell heterostructure, H-AAZS (Au/Ag@ZnS modified hyaluronic acid), utilizing a hydrothermal cation exchange process. Through ion doping, semiconductor hybridization, and Schottky barriers in H-AAZS, photocatalysis for hydrogen generation has been successfully implemented using 660 nm laser irradiation. Additionally, the H-AAZS demonstrate the capacity for mild photothermal therapy, inducing apoptosis in synovial cells with Au's hot electrons with 660 nm laser irradiation. This strategy not only improves the abnormal proliferation of synovial cells but also avoids the exacerbation of inflammation caused by thermal stimulation. Both in vitro and in vivo experiments validate the synergistic effects of hydrogen production mediated anti-inflammatory responses, macrophage polarization and photothermal therapy. Therefore, this work represents a significant advancement as it ingeniously harnesses photocatalysis to modulate the synovial microenvironment while mitigating the side effects associated with photothermal therapy. This nanocrystal provides new and valuable insights into the potential treatment of Rheumatoid arthritis.

In situ ammonium formation mediates efficient hydrogen production from natural seawater splitting

Seawater electrolysis using renewable electricity offers an attractive route to sustainable hydrogen production, but the sluggish electrode kinetics and poor durability are two major challenges. We report a molybdenum nitride (Mo2N) catalyst for the hydrogen evolution reaction with activity comparable to commercial platinum on carbon (Pt/C) catalyst in natural seawater. The catalyst operates more than 1000 hours of continuous testing at 100 mA cm−2 without degradation, whereas massive precipitate (mainly magnesium hydroxide) forms on the Pt/C counterpart after 36 hours of operation at 10 mA cm−2. Our investigation reveals that ammonium groups generate in situ at the catalyst surface, which not only improve the connectivity of hydrogen-bond networks but also suppress the local pH increase, enabling the enhanced performances. Moreover, a zero-gap membrane flow electrolyser assembled by this catalyst exhibits a current density of 1 A cm−2 at 1.87 V and 60 oC in simulated seawater and runs steadily over 900 hours.

Optimization of Hydrogen Production System Performance Using Photovoltaic/Thermal-Coupled PEM

A proton exchange membrane electrolyzer can effectively utilize the electricity generated by intermittent solar power. Different methods of generating electricity may have different efficiencies and hydrogen production rates. Two coupled systems, namely, PV/T- and CPV/T-coupling PEMEC, respectively, are presented and compared in this study. A maximum power point tracking algorithm for the photovoltaic system is employed, and simulations are conducted based on the solar irradiation intensity and ambient temperature of a specific location on a particular day. The simulation results indicate that the hydrogen production is relatively high between 11:00 and 16:00, with a peak between 12:00 and 13:00. The maximum hydrogen production rate is 99.11 g/s and 29.02 g/s for the CPV/T-PEM and PV/T-PEM systems. The maximum energy efficiency of hydrogen production in CPV/T-PEM and PV/T-PEM systems is 66.7% and 70.6%. Under conditions of high solar irradiation intensity and ambient temperature, the system demonstrates higher total efficiency and greater hydrogen production. The CPV/T-PEM system achieves a maximum hydrogen production rate of 2240.41 kg/d, with a standard coal saving rate of 15.5 tons/day and a CO2 reduction rate of 38.0 tons/day. Compared to the PV/T-PEM system, the CPV/T-PEM system exhibits a higher hydrogen production rate. These findings provide valuable insights into the engineering application of photovoltaic/thermal-coupled hydrogen production technology and contribute to the advancement of this field.

Nanoscale engineering of semiconductor photocatalysts boosting charge separation for solar-driven H2 production: Recent advances and future perspective

Abstract Photocatalytic hydrogen (H₂) production is regarded as an efficient method for generating renewable energy. Despite recent advancements in photocatalytic water splitting, the solar-to-hydrogen conversion efficiency of photocatalysts remains well below the 10% target needed for commercial viability due to ongoing scientific challenges. This review comprehensively analyzes recent advancements in nanoscale engineering of photocatalytic materials, emphasizing techniques to enhance photogenerated charge separation for efficient solar hydrogen production. Here we highlight the nanoscale engineering strategies for effective charge separation including crystal engineering, junction engineering, doping-induced charge separation, tailoring optoelectronic properties, hierarchical architecture, defects engineering, various types of heterojunctions, and polarity-induced charge separation, and discuss their unique properties including ferroelectric on spatial charge separation along with the fundamental principles of light-induced charge separation/transfer mechanisms, and the techniques for investigation. This study, critically assesses strategies for effective photogenerated charge separation to enhance photocatalytic hydrogen production and offers guidance for future research to design efficient energy materials for solar energy conversion.

3D printer fabrication of boron doped Cu-MWCNT/PLA electrodes: Investigation of its efficiency in electrocatalytic hydrogen production

In this study, three-dimensional (3D) electrodes based on MWCNT-Cu/PLA with high electrocatalytic efficiency, large surface area and different amounts of nano‑boron doped MWCNT-Cu/PLA were fabricated using Fused Granular Fabrication (FGF) method with a 3D printer. When FE-SEM images are examined, MWCNT fibers and copper particles are seen more clearly on the surface due to the formation of more dense conductive networks between the conductive carbon fibers trapped in the PLA structure due to the increasing amount of boron. When XRD results are examined, it is observed that the characteristic peaks belonging to the face-centered cubic structure of Cu are dominant and the crystal size increases as MWCNT addition and boron doping increase. When Raman spectra were analyzed to investigate the internal structural changes of MWCNTs, three characteristic bands corresponding to the D band (defect), G band (graphite band) and G' band (D overtone) of MWCNTs were determined and it was observed that the ID/IG ratio decreased with increasing boron doping compared to MWCNT-Cu/PLA electrode. The B1s spectrum of the 3D 0.8B@MWCNT-Cu/PLA electrode confirmed the presence of boron with the peak corresponding to B@C bonds at 191.2 eV. The obtained 3D electrocatalysts were used as cathodes in an electrolysis cell in aqueous solution containing 1 M KOH and their catalytic efficiency in hydrogen evolution reaction (HER) was tested. In order to increase the activity of the 3D electrodes, unlike the literature, they were activated by electrochemical activation process without using organic solvent and HER measurements of the activated electrodes were performed. Before activation, the charge transfer resistance (Rct) value of the Cu/PLA electrode, which was 6219.00 Ω cm−2, decreased to 681.90 Ω cm−2 after 5 % MWCNT doping. It is seen that with boron doping, a greater decrease in Rct value is realized, reaching values of 66.50–74.56 Ω cm−2. The cathodic Tafel slopes show that the Volmer reaction is the rate-determining step for HER and the rate-determining step is the electrochemical adsorption of hydrogen on the metal surface. In addition, energy efficiency tests of the 3D electrodes in HER were also performed and electrochemically active surface areas were determined. Thus, this study has taken an important step toward using 3D electrocatalysts, which are produced with more cost and more flexible designs, unlike previous production techniques, for hydrogen energy production.

Polyoxometalate‐Derived Photocatalysts Enabling Progress in Hydrogen Evolution Reactions

AbstractPhotocatalytic water splitting is capable of converting abundant solar energy into environmentally friendly and renewable chemical energy, presenting a promising solution to alleviate the energy crisis and combat environmental pollution. The development of high‐performance photocatalysts is crucial for significantly improving the efficiency of the hydrogen evolution reaction (HER) involved. Polyoxometalate (POM)‐derived materials, known for their tunable compositions, diverse structures, electron storage/release capabilities, as well as quasi‐semiconductor photochemical properties, serve as highly efficient catalysts in sustainable photosynthesis. This comprehensive review navigates the latest advancements in the assembly strategies and HER performance of POM‐based crystalline materials. It also discusses the composite materials formed by infiltrating POM into metal‐organic frameworks (MOF) and examines the roles of transition metal compounds derived from polyoxometalates, such as sulfides and carbides, in photocatalytic HER. Emphasis is placed on the prospects for the future development of POM‐based compounds as photocatalysts, along with several strategies and outlooks that could facilitate their progress. POM‐derived materials are believed to have significant potential to enhance hydrogen production efficiency while maintaining thermal stability in HER processes.

Engineered self-assembled protein nanosheets for in situ biosynthesis of peptide anchored protein-semiconductor hybrids for efficient hydrogen production

Catalytic hydrogen production using solar energy is of great significance in addressing the global energy crisis. Herein, an efficient artificial photocatalytic hydrogen production system based on hierarchical protein self-assembly is designed and developed by in situ biosynthesis of peptide-anchored protein-semiconductor hybrids. The self-grown protein-CdS quantum dot hybrids stabilize and array orderly by the predesigned bioengineered proteins assembled into monolayer nanosheets, perfectly mimicking both the structure and function of the natural photosynthetic system. By mild deposition of Pt nanoparticles, the photocatalytic hydrogen production performance of the system is further enhanced to 69100 μmolh−1 (Cd2+) g −1, 80 times the catalytic activity of free CdS. Remarkably, the protein 2D network effectively enhances the water solubility, dispersibility, and solution stability of the inorganic catalytic centers, affording efficient photocatalytic hydrogen evolution. The system maintains 91.2 % catalytic efficiency after 30 days. Furthermore, its hydrogen production rate can be artificially regulated between 69100 and 52100 μmolh−1 (per g Cd2+) by the assembly-disassembly process of the protein templates. Thus, our work showcases the importance of the protein template and its assembly in maintaining the structural stability and high catalytic performance of the photocatalytic system and provides promising ideas for the simulation of natural photosynthetic systems.

Carbon nanomaterials for efficient oxygen and hydrogen evolution reactions in water splitting: A review

Water splitting has gained significant attention as a means to produce clean and sustainable hydrogen fuel through the electrochemical or photoelectrochemical decomposition of water. Efficient and cost-effective water splitting requires the development of highly active and stable catalysts for the oxygen evolution reaction (OER) and hydrogen evolution reaction (HER). Carbon nanomaterials, including carbon nanotubes, graphene, and carbon nanofibers, etc., have emerged as promising candidates for catalyzing these reactions due to their unique properties, such as high surface area, excellent electrical conductivity, and chemical stability. This review article provides an overview of recent advancements in the utilization of carbon nanomaterials as catalysts or catalyst supports for the OER and HER in water splitting. It discusses various strategies employed to enhance the catalytic activity and stability of carbon nanomaterials, such as surface functionalization, hybridization with other active materials, and optimization of nanostructure and morphology. The influence of carbon nanomaterial properties, such as defect density, doping, and surface chemistry, on electrochemical performance is also explored. Furthermore, the article highlights the challenges and opportunities in the field, including scalability, long-term stability, and integration of carbon nanomaterials into practical water splitting devices. Overall, carbon nanomaterials show great potential for advancing the field of water splitting and enabling the realization of efficient and sustainable hydrogen production.

Experimental investigation on the electrical and hydrogen-production performance of a novel PEM electrolyzer driven by CdTe PV with a tracking system

Addressing the challenges of intermittent and variable energy supply, solar hydrogen production via electrolysis has garnered significant attention due to its unique advantages, emerging as a hot topic in the scientific research domain. However, the application of this technology is currently mainly related to the non-tracking system, which undergoes a rapid change in solar irradiation during the day. To expand the matching relationship of solar irradiation, PV characteristics, and electrolyzer, this paper proposes the development of a Proton Exchange Membrane (PEM) electrolyzer driven by Cadmium Telluride (CdTe) photovoltaic (PV) modules with a tracking system for hydrogen production. An experimental platform was set up in Chengdu and the performance tests were carried out for different operating modes during summer. The experimental results demonstrate that the average electrical and hydrogen production efficiencies of the system are 13.11% and 7.88%, respectively, on a sunny day, with a total of 566.7 L of hydrogen produced within 7 h of operation. Furthermore, the solar irradiation received by the tracking surface of the system is significantly enhanced by 10.29% in comparison to the horizontal surface. On a cloudy day with an electrolyzer inlet water temperature of 45 °C, the system has the potential to achieve a hydrogen production efficiency of 11.15 %. At a constant current density of 1.0 A/cm2, the efficiency of the electrolysis process increased by 2.07% and 1.25% for each 10 °C increase in the temperature of the electrolyzer, having an inlet temperature of 35 °C. This study offers a novel approach for a PV-PEM system with a higher hydrogen production efficiency while also establishing a robust foundation for technology optimization and broader implementation.