Photoelectrochemical and photocatalytic investigation of semiconducting iron oxide for solar energy conversion

Thesis/Dissertation · Fri Jan 01 04:00:00 EST 1988

OSTI ID:5330526

Strasik, M

Well characterized and reproducible semiconducting Fe{sub 2}O{sub 3} was prepared by freeze-drying. This technique produced very homogeneously Si, Mg, or Pt doped semiconducting Fe{sub 2}O{sub 3} that was used successfully in the photoelectrochemical and photocatalytic solar cell for the production of gaseous hydrogen and oxygen by dissociating water. Photocurrents obtained with the photoelectrodes prepared from the freeze-dried samples were more stable and up to ten times higher than with the samples prepared by the conventional solid state mixing technique. The maximum photocurrent density obtained with the freeze-dried samples was 10 mA/cm{sup 2} at 0.8 V vs SCE for the 0.1 at.% Si + 5 at.% Pt doped Fe{sub 2}O{sub 3}. A p/n heterojunction was used in the photoelectrochemical solar cell to photodissociate water into oxygen and hydrogen with visible light. This important result was further improved by using Fe{sub 2}O{sub 3} electrodes prepared by freeze-drying and by the addition of platinum. The Fe{sub 2}O{sub 3} was found to be stable against photocorrosion for extended periods of illumination and photocurrent generation in a basic electrolyte. It was shown that doped and platinized freeze-dried Fe{sub 2}O{sub 3} can be used more efficiently than the Fe{sub 2}O{sub 3} prepared by the solid state technique in the photoelectrochemical and photocatalytic cell for the gaseous fuel generation using solar energy.

• Research Organization: Oregon Graduate Center, Beaverton, OR (USA)
• OSTI ID: 5330526
• Country of Publication: United States
• Language: English

Related Subjects

14 SOLAR ENERGY
140505* -- Solar Energy Conversion-- Photochemical
Photobiological
& Thermochemical Conversion-- (1980-)
CATALYSIS
CATALYTIC EFFECTS
CHALCOGENIDES
DIRECT ENERGY CONVERTERS
ELECTROCHEMICAL CELLS
EQUIPMENT
FABRICATION
IRON COMPOUNDS
IRON OXIDES
MOS SOLAR CELLS
OXIDES
OXYGEN COMPOUNDS
PERFORMANCE
PHOTOELECTRIC CELLS
PHOTOELECTROCHEMICAL CELLS
PHOTOVOLTAIC CELLS
SOLAR CELLS
SOLAR EQUIPMENT
TRANSITION ELEMENT COMPOUNDS