Development of photoelectrochemical cells based on compound semiconductors and nonaqueous electrolytes. Semiannual report, May 1, 1981-October 31, 1981
A reproducible procedure for chemical bath deposition (CBD) of CdSe has been documented in detail, allowing a consistent production of photoelectrode yielding 5.5 to 6.5% conversion efficiency in alkaline polysulfide electrolyte (employing a tungsten halogen lamp/KG-2 filter solar simulated light source). The CBD films of n-CdSe on Ti have achieved an efficiency of approx. 10% under both solar simulated and real sunlight conditions using an Fe(CN)/sub 6//sup -3///sup -4/ electrolyte at pH 13. For an initial current density of 16 mA/cm/sup 2/ (approx. 80 mW/cm/sup 2/ illumination), a decrease of approx. 25% is observed after 3 hours illumination. Research was completed on developing a stable Cu/sup +///sup +2/ redox electrolyte in CH/sub 3/CN, which contains excess Cl/sup -/, to promote photochemical stability. For poly-n-GaAs, best results were obtained for electrolytes containing approx. 0.5M Cucl, 0.05M CuCl/sub 2/, 1M tetrabutylammonium chloride, viz: at 80 mW/cm/sup 2/, j/sub sc/ = 19 mA/cm/sup 2/, V/sub oc/ = 0.74V, P/sub max/ = 3.78 mW/cm/sup 2/, ff = 0.27 and eta = 4.8% (eta = 8.1% at 8 mW/cm/sup 2/ irradiation). Five encapsulated sealed cells have been tested with 15 cm/sup 2/ photoelectrodes comprised of CBD CdSe on Ti. The cells are frontwall illuminated with various configurations for ion flow to the rear-placed Ni/CoS electrode. For one design, an efficiency of 4.3% was achieved under 63 mW/cm/sup 2/ real solar illumination. Laser spot scanning has been developed as a technique for evaluation of both large area geometrical effects and microscopic photoelectrode morphological effects on the performance of PECs.
- Research Organization:
- Solar Energy Research Inst. (SERI), Golden, CO (United States); EIC Labs., Inc., Newton, MA (USA)
- Sponsoring Organization:
- USDOE
- DOE Contract Number:
- AC02-77CH00178
- OSTI ID:
- 5287072
- Report Number(s):
- SERI/PR-8002-7-T4; ON: DE82013700
- Resource Relation:
- Other Information: Portions of document are illegible
- Country of Publication:
- United States
- Language:
- English
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Related Subjects
PHOTOELECTROCHEMICAL CELLS
ELECTROLYTES
PERFORMANCE TESTING
PHOTOANODES
ACETONITRILE
CADMIUM SELENIDES
COBALT SULFIDES
COPPER CHLORIDES
CURRENT DENSITY
DESIGN
EFFICIENCY
FERRICYANIDES
FERROCYANIDES
FILMS
GALLIUM ARSENIDES
LASER RADIATION
NICKEL
PH VALUE
POLYCRYSTALS
SOLAR SIMULATORS
TITANIUM
ANALOG SYSTEMS
ANODES
ARSENIC COMPOUNDS
ARSENIDES
CADMIUM COMPOUNDS
CHALCOGENIDES
CHLORIDES
CHLORINE COMPOUNDS
COBALT COMPOUNDS
COMPLEXES
COPPER COMPOUNDS
COPPER HALIDES
CRYSTALS
ELECTROCHEMICAL CELLS
ELECTRODES
ELECTROMAGNETIC RADIATION
ELEMENTS
EQUIPMENT
FUNCTIONAL MODELS
GALLIUM COMPOUNDS
HALIDES
HALOGEN COMPOUNDS
IRON COMPLEXES
METALS
NITRILES
ORGANIC COMPOUNDS
ORGANIC NITROGEN COMPOUNDS
PNICTIDES
RADIATIONS
SELENIDES
SELENIUM COMPOUNDS
SIMULATORS
SOLAR EQUIPMENT
SULFIDES
SULFUR COMPOUNDS
TESTING
TRANSITION ELEMENT COMPLEXES
TRANSITION ELEMENT COMPOUNDS
TRANSITION ELEMENTS
140505* - Solar Energy Conversion- Photochemical
Photobiological
& Thermochemical Conversion- (1980-)