Photoelectrochemical Degradation

Zhang, S., D. Jiang, and H. Zhao. 2006. Development of chemical oxygen demand on-line monitoring system based on a photoelectrochemical degradation principle. Environ. Sci. Technol. 40 2363-2368. 

Hidaka, H., Ajisaka, K., Horikoshi, S., Oyama, T., Takeuchi, K., Zhao, J. and Serpone, N. (2001). Comparative assessment of the efficiency of TiOj/OTE thin film electrodes fabricated by three deposition methods - Photoelectrochemical degradation of the DBS anionic surfactant. J. Photochem. Photobiol. A-Chem. 138(2), 185-192. 

Luo, J. and Hepel, M. (2001). Photoelectrochemical degradation of naphthol blue black diazo dye on WO3 film electrode. Electrochim. Acta 46(19), 2913-2922. 

K. Vinodgopal, I. Bedja, P.V. Kamat, Nanostructured semiconductor films for photocatalysis. Photoelectrochemical behavior of Sn02/Ti02 composite systems and its role in photocatalytic degradation of a textile azo dye, Chem. Mater. 8 (1996) 2180-2187. 

In the development of photoelectrochemical (PEC) solar cells, one of the most difficult problems is the corrosion problem. In any solvent, but particularly in solvents with water present, anodic currents flowing from the solid to the solution will usually lead to corrosion. Specifically the corrosion will take the form of anodic oxidation of the semiconductor, with the products remaining as a film, dissolving into the solution, or evolving as a gas. Any such action will degrade the solar cell. 

Only a few studies [453,543-547] have been carried but on the photoelectrochemical behaviour of YBCO ceramics and single crystals. In nonaqueous media, in the absence of degradation, the data show that the usual concepts of photoelectrochemistry of p-type semiconductors apply to those systems. Such studies have not yet been actively developed, probably because of the high sensitivity of photoelectrochemical processes to the nature of materials. Reproducibility of data for such complex systems as HTSC oxides is an issue. At the same time, the photoassisted electrochemical processes on HTSC electrodes can lay the basis for certain effective technologies. This is especially true for the photoelectrochemical etching and metallization which prove to be extremely effective as applied to semiconductors [503,504]. 

Coatings such as paints are the principal means of protecting industrial structures from electrochemical corrosion. In some cases, even the degradation of the coating, as in the case of n-Ti02 pigments, is by photoelectrochemical processes. 

Coatings and films Most paints and coatings degrade by a photoelectrochemical mechanism. Applications are summarized that include protective coatings for automobiles, encapsulants for microelectronic devices, electrocatalysts, and microencapsulation techniques for controlled release of electroactive components. 

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