The high energy consumption of traditional water splitting to produce hydrogen is mainly due to complex oxygen evolution reaction (OER), where low-economic-value O2 gas is generated. Meanwhile, cogeneration of H2 and O2 may result in the formation of an explosive H2/O2 gas mixture due to gas crossover. Considering these factors, a favorable anodic oxidation reaction is employed to replace OER, which not only reduces the voltage for H2 production at the cathode and avoids H2/O2 gas mixture but also generates value-added products at the anode. In recent years, this innovative strategy that combines anodic oxidation for H2 production has received intensive attention in the field of electrocatalysis. In this review, the latest research progress of a coupled hydrogen production system with pollutant degradation/upgrading is systematically introduced. Firstly, wastewater purification via anodic reaction, which produces free radicals instead of OER for pollutant degradation, is systematically presented. Then, the coupled system that allows for pollutant refining into high-value-added products combined with hydrogen production is displayed. Thirdly, the photoelectrical system for pollutant degradation and upgrade are briefly introduced. Finally, this review also discusses the challenges and future perspectives of this coupled system.
Keywords: degradation of pollutants; electrocatalysis; hydrogen production; photoelectrochemistry; waste reforming.