Development of Polycrystalline Photoelectrodes with Optimum Compositions and Morphologies for Solar Fuel Production via Electrochemical Synthesis (Final Technical Report)
- Univ. of Wisconsin, Madison, WI (United States)
Photoelectrochemical cells (PECs) can utilize solar energy for water splitting to produce H2 as a clean fuel. The most critical components of a water-splitting PEC are semiconductor electrodes (photoelectrodes) that absorb solar energy to generate photoexcited charge carriers and transport them to the electrode/electrolyte interface for water reduction and oxidation reactions. While efficient PEC hydrogen production has been successfully demonstrated on the laboratory scale, the commercial viability of PECs depends critically on the cost of H2 produced by the PECs, which is affected by the cost of PEC construction. Therefore, identifying promising inexpensive semiconductor electrodes is important. The goal of this project was to bring an advancement in the synthesis and understanding of inexpensive polycrystalline photoelectrodes based on oxides. Oxide-based semiconductors are inexpensive, easy to fabricate, and relatively more stable in aqueous media compared to other types of semiconductors. This project developed new electrodeposition methods to produce a variety of oxide-based semiconductor electrodes with precisely controlled compositions and morphologies to enhance photon absorption, electron-hole separation, and the use of electrons and holes for desired chemical reactions. The resulting high-quality photoelectrodes were investigated to establish the structure-composition-morphology-photoelectrochemical property relationships to identify the advantages and limitations of each oxide semiconductor system.
- Research Organization:
- Univ. of Wisconsin, Madison, WI (United States)
- Sponsoring Organization:
- USDOE Office of Science (SC), Basic Energy Sciences (BES). Chemical Sciences, Geosciences & Biosciences Division (CSGB)
- DOE Contract Number:
- SC0008707
- OSTI ID:
- 2553930
- Report Number(s):
- DOE-UW-Madison--0008707
- Country of Publication:
- United States
- Language:
- English
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