Multiple exciton generation for photoelectrochemical hydrogen evolution reactions with quantum yields exceeding 100%
Abstract
Multiple exciton generation (MEG) in quantum dots (QDs) has the potential to greatly increase the power conversion efficiency in solar cells and in solar-fuel production. During the MEG process, two electron-hole pairs (excitons) are created from the absorption of one high-energy photon, bypassing hot-carrier cooling via phonon emission. Here we demonstrate that extra carriers produced via MEG can be used to drive a chemical reaction with quantum efficiency above 100%. We developed a lead sulfide (PbS) QD photoelectrochemical cell that is able to drive hydrogen evolution from aqueous Na2S solution with a peak external quantum efficiency exceeding 100%. QD photoelectrodes that were measured all demonstrated MEG when the incident photon energy was larger than 2.7 times the bandgap energy. Finally, our results demonstrate a new direction in exploring high-efficiency approaches to solar fuels.
- Authors:
-
[4];
- National Renewable Energy Lab. (NREL), Golden, CO (United States); New Jersey Institute of Technology, Newark, NJ (United States)
- National Renewable Energy Lab. (NREL), Golden, CO (United States); Colorado School of Mines, Golden, CO (United States)
- National Renewable Energy Lab. (NREL), Golden, CO (United States); San Diego State Univ., San Diego, CA (United States)
- National Renewable Energy Lab. (NREL), Golden, CO (United States)
- National Renewable Energy Lab. (NREL), Golden, CO (United States); Univ. of Colorado, Boulder, CO (United States)
- Publication Date:
- Research Org.:
- National Renewable Energy Laboratory (NREL), Golden, CO (United States)
- Sponsoring Org.:
- USDOE Office of Science (SC), Basic Energy Sciences (BES)
- OSTI Identifier:
- 1351583
- Report Number(s):
- NREL/JA-5900-66234
Journal ID: ISSN 2058-7546
- Grant/Contract Number:
- AC36-08GO28308
- Resource Type:
- Accepted Manuscript
- Journal Name:
- Nature Energy
- Additional Journal Information:
- Journal Volume: 2; Journal Issue: 5; Journal ID: ISSN 2058-7546
- Publisher:
- Nature Publishing Group
- Country of Publication:
- United States
- Language:
- English
- Subject:
- 14 SOLAR ENERGY; 36 MATERIALS SCIENCE; solar fuels; multiple exciton generation; quantum dots; QD; solar energy conversion; hydrogen energy; photocatalysis; photochemistry
Citation Formats
Yan, Yong, Crisp, Ryan W., Gu, Jing, Chernomordik, Boris D., Pach, Gregory F., Marshall, Ashley R., Turner, John A., and Beard, Matthew C. Multiple exciton generation for photoelectrochemical hydrogen evolution reactions with quantum yields exceeding 100%. United States: N. p., 2017.
Web. doi:10.1038/nenergy.2017.52.
Yan, Yong, Crisp, Ryan W., Gu, Jing, Chernomordik, Boris D., Pach, Gregory F., Marshall, Ashley R., Turner, John A., & Beard, Matthew C. Multiple exciton generation for photoelectrochemical hydrogen evolution reactions with quantum yields exceeding 100%. United States. https://doi.org/10.1038/nenergy.2017.52
Yan, Yong, Crisp, Ryan W., Gu, Jing, Chernomordik, Boris D., Pach, Gregory F., Marshall, Ashley R., Turner, John A., and Beard, Matthew C. Mon .
"Multiple exciton generation for photoelectrochemical hydrogen evolution reactions with quantum yields exceeding 100%". United States. https://doi.org/10.1038/nenergy.2017.52. https://www.osti.gov/servlets/purl/1351583.
@article{osti_1351583,
title = {Multiple exciton generation for photoelectrochemical hydrogen evolution reactions with quantum yields exceeding 100%},
author = {Yan, Yong and Crisp, Ryan W. and Gu, Jing and Chernomordik, Boris D. and Pach, Gregory F. and Marshall, Ashley R. and Turner, John A. and Beard, Matthew C.},
abstractNote = {Multiple exciton generation (MEG) in quantum dots (QDs) has the potential to greatly increase the power conversion efficiency in solar cells and in solar-fuel production. During the MEG process, two electron-hole pairs (excitons) are created from the absorption of one high-energy photon, bypassing hot-carrier cooling via phonon emission. Here we demonstrate that extra carriers produced via MEG can be used to drive a chemical reaction with quantum efficiency above 100%. We developed a lead sulfide (PbS) QD photoelectrochemical cell that is able to drive hydrogen evolution from aqueous Na2S solution with a peak external quantum efficiency exceeding 100%. QD photoelectrodes that were measured all demonstrated MEG when the incident photon energy was larger than 2.7 times the bandgap energy. Finally, our results demonstrate a new direction in exploring high-efficiency approaches to solar fuels.},
doi = {10.1038/nenergy.2017.52},
journal = {Nature Energy},
number = 5,
volume = 2,
place = {United States},
year = {Mon Apr 03 00:00:00 EDT 2017},
month = {Mon Apr 03 00:00:00 EDT 2017}
}
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