An innovative photoelectrochemical lab device for solar water splitting

• Tipo: Artigo em Revista Científica Internacional
• Data: 2014

Autores

Tânia Lopes (Autor) FEUP; Paula Dias (Autor) FEUP; Luísa Andrade (Autor) FEUP; Adélio Mendes (Autor) FEUP

Revista

Título: Solar Energy Materials and Solar Cells

Vol. 128

Páginas: 399-410

ISSN: 0927-0248

Editora: Elsevier

Indexação

ISI Web of Knowledge - 33 Citações

ISI Web of Science

Scopus - 50 Citações

INSPEC

Classificação Científica

FOS: Ciências da engenharia e tecnologias > Engenharia química

CORDIS: Ciências Tecnológicas > Engenharia > Engenharia química

Projetos Associados

BI-DSC - Building Integrated Dye Sensitized Solar Cells

NanoPEC - Nanostructured photoelectrodes for energy conversion

H2Solar - Células fotoelectroquímicas para produção de hidrogénio a partir de energia solar

Outras Informações

ID Authenticus: P-009-QBV

DOI: 10.1016/j.solmat.2014.05.051

Abstract (EN): A photoelectrochemical (PEC) device capable of splitting water into storable hydrogen fuel by the direct use of solar energy is becoming a very attractive technology since it is clean and sustainable. Indeed, real field experiments are being developed in order to assess technological issues for large-scale usage under outdoor conditions. Following the need for developing photoelectrochemical devices with an optimized design that allows reaching a commercial performance level, the present works describes an innovative PEC cell for testing different photoelectrodes configurations, suitable for continuous operation and for easily collect the evolved gases. Moreover, a porous Teflons diaphragm useable for a wide range of aqueous electrolyte solutions is tested. Two semiconductors were investigated: tungsten trioxide and undoped hematite. The WO3 photoelectrodes were deposited in two different substrates: (i) anodized WO3 photoelectrodes on a metal substrate and (ii) WO3 deposited by blade spreading method on a TCO glass substrate. The undoped-Fe2O3 photoanode was deposited by ultrasonic spray pyrolysis technique in a TCO glass substrate. The material deposited on glass substrates allows to obtain transparent photoelectrodes. Photocurrent–voltage characteristics were obtained for all samples characterized under three different conditions: (i) no membrane separating the anode and the cathode evolution; (ii) using a Teflons diaphragm and (iii) using a Nafions 212 membrane. The transparent samples (photoanodes deposited on glass substrates) produced the highest values of photocurrent when the Teflons diaphragm was used. This photocurrent enhancement was assigned to the high reflectance showed by the diaphragm, which reflects back a significant fraction of the transmitted solar radiation.

Idioma: Inglês

Tipo (Avaliação Docente): Científica

Notas: Publicação abrangida pelo Journal Citation Reports 2015

Nº de páginas: 12