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A Stable Integrated Photoelectrochemical Reactor for H 2 Production from Water Attains a Solar‐to‐Hydrogen Efficiency of 18 % at 15 Suns and 13 % at 207 Suns
Author(s) -
Khan Mohd A.,
AlShankiti Ibraheam,
Ziani Ahmed,
Wehbe Nimer,
Idriss Hicham
Publication year - 2020
Publication title -
angewandte chemie international edition
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 5.831
H-Index - 550
eISSN - 1521-3773
pISSN - 1433-7851
DOI - 10.1002/anie.202002240
Subject(s) - suns in alchemy , solar cell , materials science , electrolyte , photovoltaic system , hydrogen , solar fuel , water splitting , solar energy , catalysis , hydrogen production , optoelectronics , chemistry , electrode , electrical engineering , photocatalysis , organic chemistry , engineering , biochemistry
The major challenge in solar water splitting to H 2 and O 2 is in making a stable and affordable system for large‐scale applications. We have designed, fabricated, and tested a photoelectrochemical reactor characterized as follows: 1) it comprises an integrated device to reduce the balance of the system cost, 2) it utilizes concentrated sunlight to reduce the photoabsorber cost, and 3) it employs and alkaline electrolyte to reduce catalyst cost and eliminate external thermal management needs. The system consists of an III‐V‐based photovoltaic cell integrated with Ni foil as an O 2 evolution catalyst that also protects the cell from corrosion. At low light concentration, without the use of optical lenses, the solar‐to‐hydrogen (STH) efficiency was 18.3 %, while at high light concentration (up to 207 suns) with the use of optical lenses, the STH efficiency was 13 %. Catalytic tests conducted for over 100 hours at 100–200 suns showed no sign of degradation nor deviation from product stoichiometry (H 2 /O 2 =2). Further tests projected a system stability of years.