| Posted: Dec 08, 2015 | |
New probe advances understanding of photoelectrodes(Nanowerk News) Scientists at the Energy Department's National Renewable Energy Laboratory (NREL) have developed a new probe that could lead to a better photoelectrochemical cell. |
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| A paper on the discovery, 'Semiconductor interfacial carrier dynamics via photoinduced electric fields,' was published in Science Magazine ("Semiconductor interfacial carrier dynamics via photoinduced electric fields"). | |
| Ye Yang and Jing Gu are lead authors of the paper. NREL colleagues, James Young, Elisa Miller, John Turner, Nathan Neale and Matthew Beard also contributed to the research. | |
| Photoelectrochemical cells can be used to convert solar energy into transportable chemical fuels. The photoconversion process employs a semiconductor photoelectrode where photoexcited electrons move to the surface of the electrode to drive chemical reactions, such as reduction of water to produce hydrogen. | |
| As the charges move, fields are formed within the photoelectrode. The NREL team developed a spectroscopic probe that for the first time allows the formation and decay of these fields to be monitored directly. | |
| The NREL researchers used the new probe to better understand the photophysics of photoelectrodes made from the semiconductor gallium-indium-phosphide (GaInP2). Previous work at NREL used GaInP2 as part of a high-efficiency water splitting system to generate hydrogen from sunlight. By using the newly developed probe, the scientists uncovered the role that a titanium dioxide (TiO2) / GaInP2 interface plays in the photoconversion process. | |
| The new measurement tool could lead to improvements in how photoelectrodes are designed to make them more efficient and more stable. | |
| Additional research is needed, including the incorporation of a catalyst on the surface of the TiO2, where this technique can be used to understand the role of the catalyst in the hydrogen production reaction. |
| Source: National Renewable Energy Laboratory | |
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