Photochemical conversion of solar energy. Annual progress report, June 1, 1973--December 31, 1973. [Iron--thionine]

Technical Report · Tue Jan 22 04:00:00 EDT 1974

OSTI ID:5275542

Lichtin, N N

The first seven months of the program were devoted to the iron-thionine photogalvanic cell. Investigation of dependence of efficiency of conversion of light into electric power on cell parameters was performed at the Corporate Research Solar Energy Conversion Unit of Esso Research and Engineering Co. An efficiency for power conversion of absorbed light into electricity greater than or equal to 0.76% was achieved using aqueous cell solutions. Fundamental aspects of the photochemistry and thermal chemistry of the iron-thionine system were investigated in the Boston University Dept. of Chemistry. The technique of flash photolysis was used to investigate kinetics of elementary steps taking place upon illumination of solutions containing Fe(II), Fe(III) and thionine. An important finding is that the lifetime of semithionine, the species which is believed to deliver electrons to the anode during illumination, is several orders of magnitude greater in certain organic solvents than in aqueous solution. Non-photochemical experiments examined possible chemical side effects of reagents which might influence cell potential via coordination of iron, some of the elementary reactions which occur in the illuminated cell and some aspects of thionine chemistry.

• Research Organization: Boston Univ., Mass. (USA). Dept. of Chemistry
• OSTI ID: 5275542
• Report Number(s): NSF/RANN/SE/GI-38103/PR/73/4
• Country of Publication: United States
• Language: English

Related Subjects

14 SOLAR ENERGY
140505* -- Solar Energy Conversion-- Photochemical
Photobiological
& Thermochemical Conversion-- (1980-)
AMINES
ATOMIC IONS
CHARGED PARTICLES
CHEMICAL REACTIONS
CHEMISTRY
DECOMPOSITION
DISPERSIONS
EFFICIENCY
ELECTROCHEMICAL CELLS
ELECTRON TRANSFER
ELEMENTS
HETEROCYCLIC COMPOUNDS
IONS
IRON
IRON IONS
METALS
MIXTURES
ORGANIC COMPOUNDS
ORGANIC NITROGEN COMPOUNDS
ORGANIC SOLVENTS
ORGANIC SULFUR COMPOUNDS
PERFORMANCE TESTING
PHOTOCHEMICAL REACTIONS
PHOTOCHEMISTRY
PHOTOGALVANIC CELLS
PHOTOLYSIS
REDOX REACTIONS
RESEARCH PROGRAMS
SOLUTIONS
SOLVENTS
TESTING
THIONINE
TRANSITION ELEMENTS