Metal oxide semiconductors are today the most promising materials for photoelectrochemical production of hydrogen by the method of the photoelectrolysis of water as the problems of the stability of photoelectrodes are basically solved only for such materials. The aim of this short review paper is the presentation of results in this field obtained both worldwide and by the authors of this paper. The factors determining the efficiency of photoelectrolysis and possible ways to increase the photocatalytic activity of semiconductor photoelectrodes are analyzed. It is shown that the development of new photoelectrodes made of solid solutions and more complicated multicomponent compositions are most promising. Possibilities to use porous and nanocrystalline oxide photoelectrodes in photoelectrochemistry are also discussed. Photoelectrolysis setups for the photoelectrochemical conversion of solar energy into hydrogen are briefly described. (c) 2004 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.