Faculty of Physics - University of Bucharest

UNIVERSITY OF BUCHAREST
FACULTY OF PHYSICS

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2024-11-23 17:53

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Conference: Bucharest University Faculty of Physics 2017 Meeting

Section: Physics and Technology of Renewable and Alternative Energy Sources

Title:

Photoelectrochemical water splitting at semiconductor electrolyte interface

Authors:

Mihai NIȚĂ(1,2), Ioan STAMATIN(1,3), Muhammad AL-TIMIMI(1,4), Widad ALBANDA (1,5)

^*
Affiliation:

1) Faculty of Physics, University of Bucharest, 405 Atomistilor Str., PO Box 38, Bucharest-Magurele, 07712, Romania.

2)Tehnical University of Civil Engineering Bucharest

3)3Nano-SAE research centre, Faculty of Physics, University of Bucharest, 405 Atomistilor Str., PO Box 38, Bucharest-Magurele, 07712, Romania.

4) Physics Department, College of Science, University of Diyala, Iraq

5) Science Department - College of Basic Education- Al-Mustansiriyah University, Iraq.

E-mail

mihainita35@gmail.com

Keywords:

photoelectrochemical cell, splitting water, semiconductor photoanode

Abstract:

A rapid increase in the concentrations of greenhouse gasses and concerns over the reserves of fossil fuels have led part of the scientific community to research technologies based on renewable and carbon free form of energy. Photoelectrochemical (PEC) cells offer the ability to convert electromagnetic energy from the Sun to stored chemical energy through the splitting of water into molecular oxygen and hydrogen. Many challenges still remain in improving energy conversion efficiency, such as utilizing longer wavelength photons for hydrogen production, enhancing the reaction efficiency at any given wavelength and increasing the lifetime of the semiconductor materials. This paper will give a short review of the fundamental aspects of photocatalytic and photoelectrochemical water splitting. In most cases, a photoelectrochemical cell consists of an n-type semiconductor photoanode associated with a metal catode introduced in an electrolyte solution. PEC solar water splitting is a complex process. For direct photoelectrochemical decomposition of water to occur efficiently several key criteria must be met simultaneously: the semiconductor must generate sufficient voltage upon irradiation to split water, the bulk band gap must be small enough to absorb a significant portion of the solar spectrum, the band edge potential at the surfaces of semiconductor must straddle the hydrogen and oxygen redox potentials, the system must exhibit stability against corrosion on aqueous electrolytes, and the charge transfer from the surface of the semiconductor to the solution must be facile to minimize energy losses due to kinetic overpotential. Materials satisfying all criteria simultaneously have not been reported, research and development is ongoing to develop materials with bulk and interfacial characteristc that meet all the conditions for efficient water splitting.