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Analysis of Optical Losses in a Photoelectrochemical Cell: A Tool for Precise Absorptance Estimation
Author(s) -
Cendula Peter,
Steier Ludmilla,
Losio Paolo A.,
Grätzel Michael,
Schumacher Jürgen O.
Publication year - 2018
Publication title -
advanced functional materials
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 6.069
H-Index - 322
eISSN - 1616-3028
pISSN - 1616-301X
DOI - 10.1002/adfm.201702768
Subject(s) - materials science , absorptance , optoelectronics , optics , photocurrent , energy conversion efficiency , reflection (computer programming) , water splitting , layer (electronics) , nanotechnology , reflectivity , computer science , biochemistry , chemistry , physics , photocatalysis , catalysis , programming language
Optical losses in a photoelectrochemical (PEC) cell account for a substantial part of solar‐to‐hydrogen conversion losses, but limited attention is paid to the detailed investigation of optical losses in PEC cells. In this work, an optical model of combined coherent and incoherent light propagation in all layers of the PEC cell based on spectroscopic measurements is presented. Specifically, photoelectrodes using transparent conductive substrates such as F:SnO 2 coated with thin absorber films are focused. The optical model is verified for hematite photoanodes fabricated by atomic layer deposition and successfully used to determine wavelength‐dependent reflection, transmission, layer absorptances, and charge generation rates. Furthermore, the calculated absorptances enable 20–30% more accurate calculations of the absorbed photon‐to‐current efficiency of PEC cells. Our optical model is a powerful tool for the optimization of the optical performance of PEC cells focusing on single absorber or tandem configurations and represents a cornerstone of a complete (optical and electrical) model for PEC water splitting cells.