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Download as PDFAdvanced Photoelectrodes for Photo-assisted Water Electrolysis
With continuously growing energy demands, new alternative energy solutions become essential. In order to achieve sustainability, efficient conversion and storage of solar energy are imperative [1] [2] . Photoelectrolysis utilizes solar energy to evolve hydrogen and oxygen from water, thereby enabling energy storage via chemical means. In this work, photoelectrodes are being investigated; they offer high conversion efficiency, long-term stability, and low cost. The focus is initially on semiconducting metal oxides in which the energy band, defect, and micro-structure are tuned to optimize optical absorption, charge transport, and reduced overpotentials. For high efficiency, a cobalt-based oxidation catalyst [3] is implemented at the photoelectrode. The electro-deposition kinetics of this catalyst are studied as part of this project to allow further insights into the catalysis mechanism.
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- M. W. Kanan and D. G. Nocera, “In situ formation of an oxygen-evolving catalyst in neutral water containing phosphate and Co2+,” Science, vol. 321, pp 1072-1075, 2008. [↩]