Challenges and trends in hydrogen production by electrolysis

The growing global demand for clean and sustainable energy has intensified research into hydrogen production via water electrolysis. In this context, this review provides an integrative analysis of recent advances in electrolytic hydrogen production, emphasizing electrocatalytic materials, electrolyte composition, process efficiency, techno‐economic feasibility, and the use of alternative feedstocks. A systematic literature review was conducted using the Scopus and Web of Science databases, covering English‐language research articles published between 2016 and 2026. The review focused on recent developments in electrocatalysts and electrode materials, their influence on electrochemical performance, and the challenges of comparing reported catalytic activity under different experimental conditions. The review also examines how electrolyte composition and operating parameters affect hydrogen production, as well as the economic factors governing the levelized cost of hydrogen, including electricity prices, capital costs, system efficiency, and utilization. The review also discusses alternative feedstocks, with particular emphasis on wastewater and biomass‐derived compounds such as urea. These approaches can couple hydrogen production with wastewater treatment, contaminant removal, resource recovery, or the generation of value‐added products through alternative anodic oxidation reactions. However, the analysis highlights important challenges related to pretreatment requirements, fouling, electrode and membrane stability, competing reactions, product selectivity, and scalability. Overall, this review identifies key technological trends and research gaps and highlights the need for integrated electrochemical and system‐level approaches to achieve more efficient, sustainable, and economically viable hydrogen production.