Researchers at the Centre for Nano and Soft Matter Sciences (CeNS) in Bengaluru, India, have achieved a significant milestone in sustainable energy by developing a next-generation device for producing green hydrogen. This breakthrough, using solar energy and earth-abundant materials, addresses the challenges of cost-effective and large-scale green hydrogen production. Led by Dr. Ashutosh K. Singh, the team integrated smart materials into a unique heterostructure, resulting in a scalable system that boosts performance for real-world applications. The study, published in the Journal of Materials Chemistry A, highlights the use of a silicon-based photoanode with an advanced architecture to enhance light absorption, charge separation, and transport efficiency. The materials were deposited using a scalable manufacturing technique, magnetron sputtering, ensuring precision and cost-effectiveness. The device exhibited impressive results, including high surface photovoltage, low onset potential, and stability over continuous operation in alkaline conditions. The researchers emphasized the system's long-term durability and commercial viability, especially at scale, with a 25 cm² photoanode demonstrating high efficiency in splitting water under sunlight. This solar-powered hydrogen production technology, if further scaled, could play a crucial role in decarbonising industries, clean transport, and renewable energy storage across different sectors like homes, factories, and transportation networks.