Abstract
The present work is a short review of our recent studies on PhotoFuelCells, that is, photoelectrochemical cells which consume a fuel to produce electricity or hydrogen, and presents some unpublished data concerning both electricity and hydrogen production. PhotoFuelCells have been constructed using nanoparticulate titania photoanodes and various cathode electrodes bearing a few different types of electrocatalyst. In the case where the cell functioned with an aerated cathode, the cathode electrode was made of carbon cloth carrying a carbon paste made of carbon black and dispersed Pt nanoparticles. When the cell was operated in the absence of oxygen, the electrocatalyst was deposited on an FTO slide using a special commercial carbon paste, which was again enriched with Pt nanoparticles. Mixing of Pt with carbon paste decreased the quantity of Pt necessary to act as electrocatalyst. PhotoFuelCells can produce electricity without bias and with relatively high open-circuit voltage when they function in the presence of fuel and with an aerated cathode. In that case, titania can be sensitized in the visible region by CdS quantum dots. In the present work, CdS was deposited by the SILAR method. Other metal chalcogenides are not functional as sensitizers because the combined photoanode in their presence does not have enough oxidative power to oxidize the fuel. Concerning hydrogen production, it was found that it is difficult to produce hydrogen in an alkaline environment even under bias, however, this is still possible if losses are minimized. One way to limit losses is to short-circuit anode and cathode electrode and put them close together. This is achieved in the “photoelectrocatalytic leaf”, which was presently demonstrated capable of producing hydrogen even in a strongly alkaline environment.
Highlights
Simultaneous conversion of solar energy into chemical energy and electricity is achieved by means of photoelectrochemical cells
Nanoparticulate titania films were deposited on Fluorine-doped Tin Oxide (FTO) transparent electrodes by the following procedure: a FTO glass was cut in the appropriate dimensions and was carefully cleaned first with soap and by sonication in isopropanol, water and acetone
Photoanodes carrying nanoparticulate titania can be sensitized in the Visible by quantum dot metal sulfide semiconductor sensitizers
Summary
Simultaneous conversion of solar energy into chemical energy and electricity is achieved by means of photoelectrochemical cells. A standard configuration for a photoelectrochemical cell involves a photoanode electrode carrying an n-type semiconductor photocatalyst, a counter electrode carrying an electrocatalyst and an electrolyte. The present work will deal with a standard cell employing a photoanode and n-type semiconductor photocatalyst In both types of cells, the energy of photons and the chemical energy of the sacrificial agent, i.e., of the “fuel”, are converted into electricity and/or stored in a useful form of chemical energy, for example, production of hydrogen. For this reason, photoelectrochemical cells operating by consumption of a fuel are called PhotoFuelCells (PFCs) [1,2]. The present work will not deal with inorganic sacrificial agents
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