Optical and electrochemical effects of H2 and O2 bubbles at upward-facing Si photoelectrodes

Kempler, Paul A.; Ifkovits, Zachary P.; Yu, Weilai; Carim, Azhar I.; Lewis, Nathan S.

doi:10.1039/d0ee02796k

Title: Optical and electrochemical effects of H₂ and O₂ bubbles at upward-facing Si photoelectrodes

Journal Article · Fri Nov 12 00:00:00 EST 2021 · Energy & Environmental Science

DOI:https://doi.org/10.1039/d0ee02796k· OSTI ID:1850875

^[1]; Ifkovits, Zachary P. ^[1];

^[1];

^[1]

California Institute of Technology (CalTech), Pasadena, CA (United States)

The effects of the size, contact-angle, and coverage of gas bubbles on solar fuels devices were characterized at cm-scale, upward-facing planar and microwire-array Si photoelectrodes in stagnant electrolytes. Experimental measurements were supported by ray-tracing simulations of surface attached gas bubble films. A dilute, redox-active tracer allowed for the quantification of the mass-transport effects of bubble coverage during photoanodic O₂(g) evolution at upward-facing photoanodes in 1.0 M KOH(aq.). Measurements of the gas coverage at upward-facing p-Si photocathodes in 0.50 M H₂SO₄(aq.) allowed for the nucleation rate and contact angle of H₂(g) bubbles to be evaluated for systems having various surface free energies. Under simulated solar illumination, the rapid departure of small O₂(g) bubbles produced stable photocurrents at upward-facing oxygen-evolving Si photoanodes and yielded increased mass-transport velocities relative to a stagnant electrolyte, indicating that bubbles can provide a net benefit to the photoelectrochemical performance of an upward-facing photoanode in solar fuels devices.

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Research Organization:: California Institute of Technology (CalTech), Pasadena, CA (United States)

Sponsoring Organization:: USDOE Office of Science (SC), Basic Energy Sciences (BES)

Grant/Contract Number:: SC0004993

OSTI ID:: 1850875

Alternate ID(s):: OSTI ID: 1724234

Journal Information:: Energy & Environmental Science, Vol. 14, Issue 1; ISSN 1754-5692

Publisher:: Royal Society of ChemistryCopyright Statement

Country of Publication:: United States

Language:: English

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