Catalytic Conversion Pathways of Green Hydrogen Production: Technological Evolution and Cutting-Edge Prospects of Catalytic Hydrogen Production from Biomass

Hydrogen (H2) is a key clean energy carrier for achieving carbon neutrality, featuring both cleanliness and high efficiency. Biomass-to-hydrogen technologies, with the advantages of strong renewability and low emissions, provide a highly promising alternative to fossil fuel-based hydrogen production. This review summarizes the main pathways and latest research progress in catalytic hydrogen production from biomass, focusing on the role of catalysts and optimization directions in the two major processes of thermochemical and biochemical methods. Despite the rapid development in this field, the large-scale application of biomass-to-hydrogen technologies is still limited by issues such as catalyst deactivation, feedstock composition fluctuations, and low energy efficiency. Traditional biomass-to-hydrogen technologies cannot achieve breakthrough progress in large-scale production in the short term; however, through coupled emerging technologies like biomass electrooxidation for hydrogen production and on-site hydrogen production via aqueous ethanol reforming, biomass-based hydrogen production is expected to solve problems such as low energy efficiency and high transportation difficulties, thereby making an important contribution to the construction of a green and low-carbon hydrogen economy system. Future research should focus on the rational design of stable nanocatalysts, artificial intelligence-driven research and development as well as advanced characterization technologies and the application of integrated systems and process innovation, along with diverse feedstocks and high-value-added product systems.