Photoanodic decomposition electrode

N-type semiconductors can be used as photoanodes in electrochemical cells Q., 2, 3), but photoanodic decomposition of the photoelectrode often competes with the desired anodic process (1 4 5). When photoanodic decomposition of the electrode does compete, the utility of the photoelectrochemical device is limited by the photoelectrode decomposition. In a number of instances redox additives, A, have proven to be photooxidized at n-type semiconductors with essentially 100% current efficiency (1, 2, 3, 6>, ], 8, 9). Research in this laboratory has shown that immobilization of A onto the photoanode surface may be an approach to stabilization of the photoanode when the desired chemistry is photooxidation of a solution species B, where oxidation of B is not able to directly compete with the anodic decomposition of the "naked" (non-derivatized) photoanode (10, 11, 12). Photoanodes derivatized with a redox reagent A can effect oxidation of solution species B according to the sequence represented by equations (1) - (3) (10-15). 

This chapter considers photoanodes comprised of metal oxide semiconductors, which are of relatively low cost and relatively greater stability than their non-oxide counterparts. In 1972 Fujishima and Honda [1] first used a crystal wafer of n-type Ti02 (rutile) as a photoanode. A photoelectrochemical cell was constructed for the decomposition of water in which the Ti02 photoanode was connected with a Ft cathode through an external circuit. With illumination of the Ti02 current flowed from the Ft electrode to the... 

Photocorrosion can be prevented by adding a redox couple to the electrolyte whose potential is more favourable than the decomposition potential such that the redox reaction occurs preferentially. When n-CdS is used as photoanode in aqueous electrolytes, the electrode is photocorroded since the reaction, CdS -1- 2h - S -1- Cd, occurs readily. By adding NaOH and sodium polysuphide to the electrolyte (Ellis et al, 1976), photocorrosion is prevented. The /S redox couple preferentially scavenges the photoholes. At the anode, sulphide is oxidized to polysulphide (free sulphur) and free sulphur is reduced back at the dark cathode. Similarly n-Si anodes have been stabilized by using a nonaqueous electrolyte containing a ferricinium/ferrocene redox couple (Legg et al, 1977 Chao et al, 1983). Unfortunately, a similar stabilization technique cannot be applied to photoelectrolysis cells. Some examples of electrode... 

All these results can be explained in terms of the model proposed above (cf. Fig. 11). Namely, with ferrous oxalate having a standard redox potential E° (Ox/R) of —0.2 V (SCE), which is a little more negative than the E of the surface trapped hole located ca. 0.5 V above E , the surface trapped hole is effectively quenched by the rapid reduction, and the photoanodic current flows without decomposition. With ferrocyanide, having an E(0x/R) of 0.2 V (SCE), which is more positive than the E of the surface trapped hole, the surface trapped holes are accumulated to the extent that the surface potential created will level it down to the E(0x/R) of the redox couple. At this point, the rates of nu-cleophillic attack of H2O and OH to the surface trapped holes are still low and the electrode decomposition is prevented. 

Measurements of the stabilization ratio s were performed on the GaAs photoanode in aqueous medium with 0.25 mol.dnr3 and with 4 mol.dm 3 LiCl, in three water + methanol mixtures with 18, 48 and 80 mol % methanol respectively, and in two water + acetonitrile mixtures with 13 and 42 mol % acetonitrile. The stabilization ratio s was measured as a function of the photocurrent density i and the concentration c of dissolved TMPD. The measurements were performed at a constant electrode potential V corresponding to high band bending, so that surface recombination can be neglected. All experiments were performed in acid medium as required for the solubility of TMPD and decomposition products of GaAs. 

The photoelecfrochemical cell for wafer decomposition (Figure 3) involves two electrodes immersed in an aqueous electrolyte, of which one is a photocatalysf exposed to light (photoanode in Figure 3). 

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