Development of photoelectrochemical cells based on compound semiconductors and nonaqueous electrolytes. Semiannual report, May 1, 1981-October 31, 1981

Technical Report · Mon Mar 01 04:00:00 EST 1982

DOI:https://doi.org/10.2172/5287072· OSTI ID:5287072

Rauh, R. D.

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., Golden, CO (USA); 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
• Country of Publication: United States
• Language: English

Related Subjects

14 SOLAR ENERGY
140505* -- Solar Energy Conversion-- Photochemical
Photobiological
& Thermochemical Conversion-- (1980-)
ACETONITRILE
ANALOG SYSTEMS
ANODES
ARSENIC COMPOUNDS
ARSENIDES
CADMIUM COMPOUNDS
CADMIUM SELENIDES
CHALCOGENIDES
CHLORIDES
CHLORINE COMPOUNDS
COBALT COMPOUNDS
COBALT SULFIDES
COMPLEXES
COPPER CHLORIDES
COPPER COMPOUNDS
COPPER HALIDES
CRYSTALS
CURRENT DENSITY
DESIGN
EFFICIENCY
ELECTROCHEMICAL CELLS
ELECTRODES
ELECTROLYTES
ELECTROMAGNETIC RADIATION
ELEMENTS
EQUIPMENT
FERRICYANIDES
FERROCYANIDES
FILMS
FUNCTIONAL MODELS
GALLIUM ARSENIDES
GALLIUM COMPOUNDS
HALIDES
HALOGEN COMPOUNDS
IRON COMPLEXES
LASER RADIATION
METALS
NICKEL
NITRILES
ORGANIC COMPOUNDS
ORGANIC NITROGEN COMPOUNDS
PERFORMANCE TESTING
PH VALUE
PHOTOANODES
PHOTOELECTROCHEMICAL CELLS
PNICTIDES
POLYCRYSTALS
RADIATIONS
SELENIDES
SELENIUM COMPOUNDS
SIMULATORS
SOLAR EQUIPMENT
SOLAR SIMULATORS
SULFIDES
SULFUR COMPOUNDS
TESTING
TITANIUM
TRANSITION ELEMENT COMPLEXES
TRANSITION ELEMENT COMPOUNDS
TRANSITION ELEMENTS