Photoelectrochemical cells with storage

Abstract. In the present work it is for the first time proposed to use a photoelectrochemical cell with a GaAs photoanode and a metal hydride cathode based on intermetallic alloys LaNi5.xCox, where 0hydrogen conversion with possibility to storage hydrogen in a cathode material. The characteristics of photoanode and cathodes have been investigated and results obtained are discussed. 

Figure 10.11 A bipolar thin-film ra-Cd(Se,Te)-polysulphide-CoS photoelectrochemical solar cell with in situ Sn/SnS-CoS storage. Compartments A and A2 contain alkaline polysulphide solution, and compartment B contains alkaline sulphide solution.

Gerritsen H. J., Ruppel W. and Wurfel P. (1984), A photoelectrochemical storage cell with n-CdSe and p-CdTe electrodes , J. Electrochem. Soc. 131, 2037-2041. 

Licht S. and Manassen J. (1987), Thin-film cadmium chalcogenide aqueous polysulfide photoelectrochemical solar cells with in situ tin storage , J. Electrochem. Soc. 134, 1064-1070. 

While regenerative photoelectrochemical cells compete with solid state photovoltaic devices it appears most attractive to use such systems immediately for the storage of chemical energy. It was already been shown in Fig. 1.15, how this can be performed. Fig. 

Porous electrodes are ubiquitous in electrochemical energy conversion and storage. They are needed in photoelectrochemical cells, electrochemical double layer capacitors, supercapacitors with pseudocapacitive effect, batteries, and fuel cells. 

Electrochemical cells, for example, photoelectrochemical cells, batteries, fuel cells, or supercapacitors, consist of assemblies of functional electrode and electrolyte layers. Individual cells are linked together electrically to form stacks, whereas stacks form part of energy systems, that involve additional units for fuel storage, thermal management, and so on. The development of energy systems is thus a hierarchical and cross-disciplinary exercise, with strongly coupled phenomena arising across multiply connected structural levels. 

Substantial work has been done to study the properties of the doped semiconductors employed, as there was general consensus for several decades that such cells might be important for solar energy conversion and storage. Much of our work in photoelectrochemistry was done with my colleague Allen Bard. Together we wrote an article arguing that photoelectrochemical cells could be viewed as the Holy... 

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