Solar hydrogen production employing [formula omitted] SC-SEP, photoelectrochemical solar cell

Abstract

The present paper describes the fabrication and solar hydrogen production studies employing a new semiconductor-septum (SC-SEP) photoelectrode n- TiO 2 Ti based photoelectrochemical solar cell with the configuration SCE/1 M NaOH/TiO 2/Ti/H 2SO 4 + K 2 SO 4 Pt CE , Pt WE. The monitoring of the current-voltage characteristics of the above SC-SEP cell revealed an enhancement in short-circuit current (I SC ) up to three times (5− ~ 15 mAcm −2) that of its single compartment PEC cell counterpart based on the n-TiO 2 photoelectrode. The rate of hydrogen production was found to change with variation in the concentration of the electrolyte in the dark compartment; e.g. for 1 M H 2SO 4 it is 6.31 1 h −1 m −2 and for 5 M it is 13.15 1 h −1 m −2. The optimum hydrogen production rate was found to be 13.151 h −1 m −1 for 5 M H 2SO 4. With a further increase in H 2SO 4 concentration, the hydrogen production rate was found to be invariant. The hydrogen production rate of TiO 2 Ti based SC-SEP cells when compared with the only other known SC-SEP cell based on n- CdSe Ti and corresponding to the configuration SCE/polysulfide +0.1 M selenium solute/ n-CdSe/Ti/5 M H 2SO 4/Pt CE, Pt WE exhibits a hydrogen production rate higher by about 10 times.