Photocatalysts for Water Splitting Patent Landscape 2026
Photocatalysts for Water Splitting Patent Landscape in 2026
The photocatalysts-for-water-splitting field is in an active growth phase, with filing volume up 28% over the recent window and leadership shared between Gulf-region universities, Indian public research bodies, and French national research institutions. Concentration is moderate: the top five filers account for 19% of the hundred largest filers’ combined output, leaving meaningful room for new entrants across electrolytic, semiconductor, and nanotechnology sub-routes.
Gulf and French institutions lead a moderately fragmented field
King Fahd University of Petroleum and Minerals and the Council of Scientific and Industrial Research co-lead The top tier is anchored by academic and public-research institutions rather than commercial players, signaling that fundamental science still drives the majority of protected invention.
The top five filers’ combined share of the hundred largest filers is 19%, indicating a field where no single actor dominates and the competitive frontier is broadly contested. A secondary commercial tier — Shell International Research, SABIC Global Technologies, and Saudi Arabian Oil Co. — sits just outside the top five, showing that energy-industry players are engaged but not yet setting the pace.
| # | Applicant | Patent families | Share |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | King Fahd University of Petroleum and Minerals | 59 | |
| 2 | COUNCIL OF SCI & IND RES | 59 | |
| 3 | KING ABDULLAH UNIV OF SCI & TECH | 49 | |
| 4 | Centre National de la Recherche Scientifique (CNRS) | 44 | |
| 5 | Regents of the University of California | 43 | |
| 6 | Shell Internationale Research Maatschappij BV | 38 | |
| 7 | SABIC Global Technologies BV | 37 | |
| 8 | Regents of the University of Michigan | 35 | |
| 9 | Wisconsin Alumni Research Foundation | 27 | |
| 10 | Element 1 Corp | 26 |
| # | Applicant | Patent families | Share |
|---|---|---|---|
| 11 | Saudi Arabian Oil Company (Saudi Aramco) | 24 | |
| 12 | Madan Mohan Malaviya University of Technology | 23 | |
| 13 | Indian Oil Corporation Ltd | 19 | |
| 14 | Oxford University Innovation Ltd | 19 | |
| 15 | Commissariat a l’Energie Atomique et aux Energies Alternatives (CEA) | 19 | |
| 16 | United Arab Emirates University | 18 | |
| 17 | Tianjin University | 18 | |
| 18 | Toyota Motor Corporation | 17 | |
| 19 | NewSouth Innovations Pty Ltd | 17 | |
| 20 | HARBIN UNIV OF SCI & TECH | 16 |
The dominance of Gulf-region universities and Indian research councils, alongside strong French institutional presence, reflects deliberate national strategies to secure intellectual property in solar-to-hydrogen conversion. For an R&D planner, the relatively thin commercial-sector leadership suggests patenting barriers to entry remain accessible for well-resourced entrants with differentiated catalyst chemistry.
Filing counts for 2024–2026 are understated due to standard patent-publication lag; the apparent moderation in the most recent years should not be read as a slowdown. Longer-window growth, applicant concentration, and technology-route coverage are therefore more reliable signals than the latest-year bar alone.
Sustained filing growth with catalysis and electrolysis dominating the technology mix
The annual trend chart reveals a field that has expanded materially over the review period, while the IPC composition chart shows that two branches — heterogeneous catalysis and electrolytic hydrogen production — account for the large majority of protected invention, with a long tail of adjacent classes signaling diversifying applications.
Annual filing trend
Annual filings rose from 161 in 2017 to a visible peak of 191 in 2024, with the 28% recent-window growth rate confirming that the field is still in expansion. Values for 2025 and 2026 are truncated by publication lag and should be treated as lower bounds, not indicators of declining activity.
↗ Hover for values · click a bar to ask EurekaTechnology composition
B01J (Chemical/physical processes and catalysis) and C01B (Non-metallic elements and inorganic compounds) are the two dominant branches, reflecting the core heterogeneous-catalyst and hydrogen-compound chemistry. C25B (Electrolytic production of compounds) is a strong third, confirming that photoelectrochemical cell architectures are a major design route. Lower-volume branches such as H01L (Semiconductor devices), B82Y (Nanotechnology applications), and C02F (Water and wastewater treatment) mark where the field is beginning to intersect with device integration, nanomaterials, and practical water-treatment deployment.
↗ Hover for values · click a bar to ask EurekaHighly cited patent families surfaced by the query
Citation-heavy patent families returned by the query. Use this section as citation context, not as a curated list of the most topic-specific patents.
Lunar base energy supply and application system ba…
A lunar base energy supply and application system based on photocatalytic water splitting hydrogen production technology are provided. The system includes a solar photovoltaic power generation unit, a power management unit, a water storage tank, a photocatalytic water splitting unit, an hydrogen-oxygen storage unit, an hydrogen-oxygen-water conversion unit… (excerpt from the patent abstract)
| # | Patent | Citations |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | Block copolymer processing for mesostructured inor… | 268 |
| 2 | Methods and systems for large scale carbon dioxide… | 199 |
| 3 | Block polymer processing for mesostructured inorga… | 122 |
| 4 | High Efficiency Broadband Semiconductor Nanowire D… | 103 |
| 5 | Process for producing hydrogen | 85 |
| 6 | Photoelectrolysis method and means | 79 |
| 7 | Photo-electrochemical cell | 77 |
| 8 | Block copolymer processing for mesostructured inor… | 72 |
Ranked by total forward citations. Citation counts favour older and broadly cited patent families, and broad or adjacent patents may appear when they match the search scope. Treat this section as citation context, not as a curated list of the most topic-specific patents.
What the competitive structure means for R&D investment decisions
Four structural observations — maturity, concentration, collaboration, and geography — shape where the most defensible white space lies and where competitive pressure is already intense.
Growth stage: rising filings, foundational science still dominant
The lifecycle evidence positions the field firmly in the Growth stage, with annual filings still rising and the most recent years understated by publication lag. The dominance of academic and public-research institutions in the ranking confirms that the technology has not yet reached the commercialization-led phase where corporate filers crowd out universities. R&D investment in novel catalyst architectures can still yield broad, defensible claims.
Growth stageModerate fragmentation: top five hold 19% of the leading-filer pool
With the top five filers holding 19% of the hundred largest filers’ combined total and the balance distributed across dozens of universities, research councils, and energy companies, no incumbent has locked down the space. The commercial tier — Shell, SABIC, Saudi Aramco — is active but not dominant, which means a corporate entrant with a focused catalyst-chemistry or device-integration thesis can build a competitive position without facing entrenched portfolio blockades.
FragmentedCNRS anchors a dense French consortium; Gulf institutions co-file with industry
The Centre National de la Recherche Scientifique (CNRS) is the most active co-filer, with 15 joint families each alongside TotalEnergies, the Ecole Nationale Superieure de Chimie de Montpellier, and the French Atomic Energy Commission (CEA), plus additional co-filings with Sorbonne University, Universite de Rennes I, Strasbourg University, and related institutions. King Abdullah University of Science and Technology and Saudi Arabian Oil Co. share 8 joint families, indicating that Gulf industry-academia partnerships are also significant. These clusters define both competitive risks (difficulty licensing into consortium IP) and partnership opportunities for organizations that can complement rather than duplicate their focus.
Consortium-drivenChina and the US lead filing jurisdictions; Gulf and India are growing protection markets
China and the United States are the two largest jurisdictions by patent-record count, followed by WIPO PCT filings, India, and the European Patent Office. Japan and South Korea form a secondary tier. The strong Indian filing volume aligns with the Council of Scientific and Industrial Research’s top-ranking position. An applicant pursuing broad commercial protection should prioritize PCT, EPO, and Chinese prosecution; the Gulf states (AE, SA) remain lightly protected and may represent underprotected commercial territory relative to the research intensity located there.
China & US dominantGo beyond the landscape: Eureka’s TRIZ Solution agent breaks down an R&D problem and returns patented concept solutions, each with a technical approach and cited patent & literature evidence.
| Applicant | Collaborator | Co-filings |
|---|---|---|
| Centre National de la Recherche Scientifique (CNRS) | TotalEnergies SE | 15 |
| Centre National de la Recherche Scientifique (CNRS) | Ecole Nationale Superieure de Chimie de Montpellier | 15 |
| Centre National de la Recherche Scientifique (CNRS) | Commissariat a l’Energie Atomique et aux Energies Alternatives (CEA) | 15 |
| Centre National de la Recherche Scientifique (CNRS) | Total Raffinage Chimie SA | 9 |
| Centre National de la Recherche Scientifique (CNRS) | Sorbonne University | 9 |
| King Abdullah University of Science and Technology (KAUST) | Saudi Arabian Oil Company (Saudi Aramco) | 8 |
| Centre National de la Recherche Scientifique (CNRS) | Universite de Rennes I | 7 |
| Centre National de la Recherche Scientifique (CNRS) | University of Strasbourg | 6 |
| Centre National de la Recherche Scientifique (CNRS) | Ecole Nationale Superieure de Chimie de Rennes | 5 |
| Centre National de la Recherche Scientifique (CNRS) | Institut National des Sciences Appliquees de Rennes | 5 |
Co-filing pairs, ranked by the number of jointly-filed patent families.
Top players by electrolytic versus catalytic route emphasis
The two co-leaders diverge sharply in technology route: King Fahd University concentrates on electrolytic and metal-compound chemistry, while the Council of Scientific and Industrial Research focuses on heterogeneous catalysis and inorganic hydrogen compounds. Understanding this divergence is essential for identifying freedom-to-operate gaps.
King Fahd University of Petroleum and Minerals
The top-ranked filer with 59 patent families, King Fahd University is heavily concentrated in C25B electrolytic production of compounds (both C25B 1 and C25B 11) and C01G metal-compound chemistry. Its momentum is strongly positive at +143% in the recent period, making it the most aggressively expanding institution in the field. R&D teams targeting photoelectrochemical cell design should treat its C25B portfolio as a key freedom-to-operate reference.
families: 59Council of Scientific and Industrial Research (CSIR)
Co-ranked at 59 patent families, CSIR’s emphasis falls on B01J heterogeneous catalysis (subclasses 35 and 23) and C01B hydrogen compound chemistry — a complementary but distinct route from King Fahd University’s electrolytic focus. CSIR’s recent filing trend shows a sharp reduction (-88%), suggesting either a strategic pivot, portfolio consolidation, or a shift to publication-lagged activity. Entrants should monitor whether this represents a genuine pullback or a temporary trough before the next prosecution wave.
families: 59| Applicant | Recent (3 yrs) | Trend |
|---|---|---|
| Council of Scientific and Industrial Research (CSIR) | 2 | ▼ -88% |
| King Fahd University of Petroleum and Minerals | 34 | ▲ +143% |
| King Abdullah University of Science and Technology (KAUST) | 4 | ▲ new entrant |
| SABIC Global Technologies BV | 2 | ▲ new entrant |
| Centre National de la Recherche Scientifique (CNRS) | 5 | ▲ new entrant |
| Regents of the University of California | 3 | ▲ new entrant |
| Shell Internationale Research Maatschappij BV | 1 | ▼ -97% |
| Regents of the University of Michigan | 23 | ▲ new entrant |
Under-served adjacent branches worth monitoring
Five IPC branches sit at the lower end of the filing distribution relative to the dominant catalysis and electrolysis classes. Two of these offer plausible technical value and realistic entry paths for teams with complementary capabilities.
C02F · Water and wastewater treatment
With 166 patent records, C02F is sparse relative to the core catalysis branches, yet it sits at the direct application end of the water-splitting value chain — coupling photocatalyst design with practical water-treatment deployment. The technical logic is clear: catalysts that simultaneously split water and degrade contaminants could command premium positioning in municipal and industrial water markets. Entry requires integrating photocatalyst synthesis expertise with reactor and membrane engineering, a combination that most current filers have not assembled. Teams bridging B01J catalyst chemistry with C02F process engineering occupy an under-populated position.
Search this in Eureka →B82Y · Nanotechnology applications
B82Y carries 151 patent records, placing it noticeably below the dominant catalysis and electrolysis branches despite nanotechnology being a well-recognized enabler of enhanced photocatalytic surface area and charge-carrier dynamics. The relative sparsity suggests that nanostructured photocatalyst designs — quantum dots, single-atom catalysts, 2D materials — are being filed primarily under B01J or C01B rather than attracting dedicated nanomaterial classification. A filer who explicitly prosecutes claims at the nanostructure-function interface under B82Y, combined with B82B, could build a distinct portfolio position with potential cross-licensing value into adjacent semiconductor (H01L) and capacitor (H01G) spaces.
Search this in Eureka →How leaders differ by technology route across electrolytic, catalytic, and semiconductor paths
Strength of each leader across the main technology routes.
| Player | C01B 3 · Non-metallic elements & inorganic compounds | B01J 35 · Chemical/physical processes & catalysis | C25B 1 · Electrolytic production of compounds | C25B 11 · Electrolytic production of compounds | B01J 27 · Chemical/physical processes & catalysis |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| King Fahd University of Petroleum and Minerals | Absent | Absent | Strong · 55 | Strong · 55 | Absent |
| SABIC Global Technologies BV | Strong · 42 | Strong · 29 | Moderate · 15 | Absent | Emerging · 7 |
| Council of Scientific and Industrial Research (CSIR) | Strong · 30 | Strong · 43 | Moderate · 14 | Absent | Absent |
| Centre National de la Recherche Scientifique (CNRS) | Strong · 18 | Strong · 27 | Strong · 16 | Moderate · 13 | Absent |
| King Abdullah University of Science and Technology (KAUST) | Strong · 24 | Absent | Strong · 30 | Absent | Absent |
| Shell Internationale Research Maatschappij BV | Strong · 37 | Absent | Absent | Absent | Absent |
| Oxford University Innovation Ltd | Absent | Strong · 19 | Absent | Absent | Strong · 15 |
Frequently asked questions
The corpus covers 1,473 patent families across 32 filing jurisdictions. China and the United States are the two largest jurisdictions by patent-record count, followed by WIPO PCT, India, and the European Patent Office.
King Fahd University of Petroleum and Minerals and the Council of Scientific and Industrial Research co-lead with 59 patent families each. King Abdullah University of Science and Technology (49), CNRS (44), and the Regents of the University of California (43) follow. The top tier is dominated by academic and public-research institutions rather than commercial companies.
The field is in a Growth lifecycle stage. Filing volume increased 28% over the recent window, and annual filings reached 191 in 2024. Values for 2025 and 2026 are understated due to patent-publication lag and should not be interpreted as a decline.
B01J (chemical/physical processes and catalysis) and C01B (non-metallic elements and inorganic compounds) are the two largest branches by patent-record count, reflecting core heterogeneous-catalyst and hydrogen-compound chemistry. C25B (electrolytic production of compounds) is a strong third, confirming the importance of photoelectrochemical cell architectures.
CNRS is the most active co-filer, with 15 joint patent families each alongside TotalEnergies, the Ecole Nationale Superieure de Chimie de Montpellier, and the French Atomic Energy Commission (CEA). King Abdullah University of Science and Technology and Saudi Arabian Oil Co. share 8 joint families, representing the most significant Gulf industry-academia partnership.
C02F (water and wastewater treatment) and B82Y (nanotechnology applications) are the most technically plausible adjacent branches with relatively sparse filing density. C02F is particularly interesting for teams that can couple photocatalyst design with practical water-treatment reactor engineering — a combination that current leading filers have largely not assembled.
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Patent data carries inherent limitations: recent filings (typically the most recent 18–24 months) are under-counted due to standard publication lag; counts may be reported at either a patent-family or a patent-record basis and are not always directly comparable; classification, applicant-name, and citation data may contain errors, duplicates, or omissions; and the underlying search query defines and constrains the scope shown. As a result, the analysis may be incomplete or inaccurate and may not reflect the full technology landscape.
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