<p>Green hydrogen (H₂) generation via photoelectrochemical (PEC) water splitting has emerged as a sustainable and carbon–neutral route for producing clean fuel, simultaneously providing a direct pathway for harnessing solar energy beyond conventional fossil resources. Among potential photoanodes, titanium dioxide (TiO₂) remains attractive owing to its excellent chemical robustness and photostability; however, its intrinsically wide band gap severely restricts visible light absorption and thereby limits PEC efficiency. To circumvent this drawback, rational construction of heterostructures by coupling TiO₂ with narrow-bandgap semiconductors has gained considerable attention as an effective strategy to broaden the absorption window and facilitate interfacial charge separation. In the present work, we demonstrate the fabrication of hierarchical TiO₂ nanotubes (TNTs) functionalized with ZnSe and PtSe₂ layers to synergistically enhance PEC activity. Comprehensive structural and surface analyses, including transmission electron microscopy and X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy, unequivocally confirm the successful formation of PtSe₂/ZnSe/TNTs hybrid architectures. The hybrid photoanode delivers an enhanced photocurrent density of ~ 430 µA/cm² in 0.5&#xa0;M Na₂SO₄, nearly six times higher than bare TNTs, attributed to efficient charge separation via a dual type-II heterojunction. The fabricated photoanodes also exhibits stable PEC performance for 5&#xa0;h under continuous light illumination. These results underscore the efficacy of the PtSe₂/ZnSe/TNT hybrid architecture as a robust platform for advancing solar-driven water splitting, highlighting its potential for integration into next-generation solar fuel conversion systems.</p> Graphical abstract <p></p>