Electrochemical photovoltaic cells/stabilization and optimization of II-VI semiconductors. Second technical progress report, 1 July-30 September 1979
The overall goal of this program is to provide the basis for designing a practical electrochemical solar cell based on the II-VI compound semiconductors. Emphasis is on developing new electrolyte redox systems and electrode surface modifications which will stabilize the II-VI compounds against photodissolution without seriously degrading the long-term solar response. The bulk electrode material properties are also being optimized to provide the maximum solar conversion efficiency and greatest inherent electrode stability. Studies of redox kinetics of the Fe(CN)/sub 6//sup 3-/4-/ couple at a rotating Pt disc electrode in various organic solvents have been completed. By using the tetraethylammonium cation, the irreversibility previously encountered in some systems was eliminated. Although methanol provides the lowest inherent stability, this is more than compensated by fast electron transfer, no specific adsorption, and a favorable flatband potential, so that this solvent appears to be most promising for stabilization of CdX photoanodes with the ferro-ferricyanide couple. An n-CdSe photoanode has now been running for 29 days at 6 mA/cm/sup 2/ in methanol/ferro-ferricyanide with no detectable degradation of the photocurrent or the electrode surface. It has also been demonstrated that the stability of this system is not sensitive to traces of water. Preliminary results are also reported for chemical modification of the CdX electrode surface with hydrophobic films applied by the Langmuir technique, solvent evaporation, and electrochemical polymerization. In addition, some enhancement in the stability of n-CdSe photoanodes in the aqueous ferro-ferricyanide system was obtained by using 4,4'-bipyridyl as an electron transfer mediator adsorbed from solution. Mixed CdSe-CdTe solid solution electrodes were found to exhibit a minimum in both the flatband potential and the bandgap at approx. 65% CdTe.
- Research Organization:
- Rockwell International Corp., Thousand Oaks, CA (USA)
- DOE Contract Number:
- AC02-77CH00178
- OSTI ID:
- 6551057
- Report Number(s):
- SERI/PR-8002-1-T2; ON: DE82020515
- Resource Relation:
- Other Information: Portions are illegible in microfiche products
- Country of Publication:
- United States
- Language:
- English
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PHOTOELECTROCHEMICAL CELLS
ELECTRODES
ELECTROLYTES
CADMIUM SELENIDES
CADMIUM TELLURIDES
CARBONATES
CHEMICAL REACTION KINETICS
ELECTRIC POTENTIAL
EXPERIMENTAL DATA
FERROCYANIDES
METHANOL
NITRILES
OPTIMIZATION
PHOTOANODES
PHOTOCURRENTS
REDOX REACTIONS
STABILITY
VOLTAMETRY
ALCOHOLS
ANODES
CADMIUM COMPOUNDS
CARBON COMPOUNDS
CHALCOGENIDES
CHEMICAL REACTIONS
COMPLEXES
CURRENTS
DATA
ELECTRIC CURRENTS
ELECTROCHEMICAL CELLS
EQUIPMENT
HYDROXY COMPOUNDS
INFORMATION
IRON COMPLEXES
KINETICS
NUMERICAL DATA
ORGANIC COMPOUNDS
ORGANIC NITROGEN COMPOUNDS
OXYGEN COMPOUNDS
REACTION KINETICS
SELENIDES
SELENIUM COMPOUNDS
SOLAR EQUIPMENT
TELLURIDES
TELLURIUM COMPOUNDS
TRANSITION ELEMENT COMPLEXES
140505* - Solar Energy Conversion- Photochemical
Photobiological
& Thermochemical Conversion- (1980-)