Photoelectrochemical hydrogen production efficiency

Rocheleau, R.E., Miller, E.L., and Misra, A., High-efficiency photoelectrochemical hydrogen production using multijunction amorphous silicon photoelectrodes, Energy Fuels, 12, 3,1998. 

Yu ZG, Piyor CE, Lau WH, Berding MA, MacQueen DB (2005) Core-shell nanorods for efficient photoelectrochemical hydrogen production. J Phys Chem B 109 22913-22919... 

Since photoelectrochemical hydrogen production is in an embryonic stage, a parallel effort to reduce the cost of electricity production from PV modules must be made. A substantial reduction in PV module cost (lower than 0.5/Wp) coupled with similar reductions in electrolyzer costs (about 125/kW at reasonable high efficiency of about 70 percent on a lower heating value basis) can provide hydrogen at reasonable cost. The potential research opportunities listed in the preceding subsection for PV solar cells along with electrolyzers must be actively explored. 

Rocheleau, R, Miller, E., and Misra, A. 1998. "High-Efficiency Photoelectrochemical Hydrogen Production Using Multijunction Amorphous Silicon Photoelectrodes". Energy and Fuels 12 3-... 

Generation of photocurrent at the semiconductor/electrolyte interface upon its illumination makes it possible to carry out photoelectrochemical reactions which can be used either for chemical fuel production, or purification of waters. Principles of operation of electrochemical cells with semiconductor electrodes for solar energy conversion to electrical and chemical energy are formulated. Most efficient cells for electricity and hydrogen production are surveyed. Certain processes for photo-destruction of pollutants, recovery of metals, etc. with making use of semiconductor dispersions are briefly discussed. 

ANON, 10 % Efficient Photoelectrochemical Cell (PEC), World Wide Web, http //www.nrel.gov/basic sciences/chemsci.html. National Renewable Energy Laboratory, Golden (1998), and KHASELEV, O., TURNER, J.A., A Monolithic Photovoltaic-Photoelectrochemical Device for Hydrogen Production via Water Splitting, Science 280 (1998) 425-427. 

Rh2 is the rate of production (moles/s) of hydrogen in its standard state per unit area of the photoelectrode. The standard Gibbs energy AG° = 237.2 kj/mol at 25°C and 1 bar, and Pt is the power density (W/m ) of illumination. The numerator and denominator have units of power and hence, as in the case of photoelectrochemical solar cells, the photoconversion efficiency is the ratio of power output to the power input. 

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