Trends in the open-circuit voltage of semiconductor/liquid interfaces: Studies of n-Al sub x Ga sub 1 minus x As/CH sub 3 CN-Ferrocene sup +/0 and n-Al sub x Ga sub 1 minus x As/KOH-Se sup minus /2 minus (aq) junctions

Journal Article · Thu Feb 07 00:00:00 EST 1991 · Journal of Physical Chemistry; (United States)

DOI:https://doi.org/10.1021/j100156a063· OSTI ID:5212454

Casagrande, L G; Tufts, B J; Lewis, N S ^[1]

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1. California Inst. of Tech., Pasadena (USA)

Trends in open-circuit voltage (V{sub oc}), short-circuit current density (J{sub sc}), and energy conversion efficiency have been determined for the n-type Al{sub x}Ga{sub 1{minus}x}As series of photoelectrodes (x = 0.0, 0.09, 0.16, 0.24, 0.31) in contact with CH{sub 3}CN-ferrocene{sup +/0} and KOH-Se{sup {minus}/2{minus}}(aq) electrolytes. V{sub oc} increased linearly with increases in bandgap energy (E{sub g}) of the n-Al{sub x}Ga{sub 1{minus}x}As alloy electrodes, with {Delta}V{sub oc}/{Delta}E{sub g} = 0.45 {plus minus} 0.04 V eV{sup {minus}1} in CH{sub 3}CN and 0.41 {plus minus} 0.09 V eV{sup {minus}1} in KOH-Se{sup {minus}/2{minus}}(aq) at a light intensity sufficient to provide J{sub sc} = 1.0 mA cm{sup {minus}2}. J{sub sc} values under solar-simulated illumination decreased monotonically with increasing bandgap energy. The relatively low value of {Delta}V{sub oc}/{Delta}E{sub g} implies decreases in optimal energy conversion efficiency as the mole fraction of Al in the Al{sub x}Ga{sub 1{minus}x}As alloy is increased. This is in contrast to the behavior of the n-GaAs{sub x}P{sub 1{minus}x} alloy series in the same electrolytes.

• OSTI ID: 5212454
• Journal Information: Journal of Physical Chemistry; (United States), Vol. 95:3; ISSN 0022-3654
• Country of Publication: United States
• Language: English

Related Subjects

14 SOLAR ENERGY
36 MATERIALS SCIENCE
ALUMINIUM ARSENIDES
ELECTRIC CONDUCTIVITY
GALLIUM ARSENIDES
CURRENT DENSITY
FERROCENE
GRADED BAND GAPS
INTERFACES
N-TYPE CONDUCTORS
PHOTOELECTROCHEMICAL CELLS
SEMICONDUCTOR MATERIALS
SOLAR ENERGY CONVERSION
VOLTAMETRY
ALUMINIUM COMPOUNDS
ARSENIC COMPOUNDS
ARSENIDES
COMPLEXES
CONVERSION
DIENES
ELECTRICAL PROPERTIES
ELECTROCHEMICAL CELLS
ENERGY CONVERSION
EQUIPMENT
GALLIUM COMPOUNDS
HYDROCARBONS
IRON COMPLEXES
MATERIALS
ORGANIC COMPOUNDS
PHYSICAL PROPERTIES
PNICTIDES
POLYENES
SOLAR EQUIPMENT
TRANSITION ELEMENT COMPLEXES
140505* - Solar Energy Conversion- Photochemical
Photobiological
& Thermochemical Conversion- (1980-)
360603 - Materials- Properties