Single-Crystal Photoelectrodes - PEC Fabrication and Properties

The reaction occurring at the photoanode (CdS or CdSe) is the oxidation of sulfide or polysulfide, while at the cathode (Pt) some polysulfide species are reduced, so that the electrolyte undergoes no net chemical change. Here, the previous problem of poor stability in Fe(CN)g solutions could be minimized, at the expense of lowering the driving potential (and thus the conversion efficiency), by using fhe 

After demonsfrafing fhe sfabilizafion of CdS- and CdSe-based PEC, using sulfide- or polysulfide-confaining elecfrolytes, Ellis el al. [51] proceeded lo show dial fhe photoanodic dissolution of single-crystal n-type CdTe, which was found to be unstable in a polysulfide electrolyte, could be completely quenched by adding Na2Te in the alkaline solution of NaOH. The photoelectrochemistry in their cell was considered to be consisting of the reactions 

The same research group [52] gave a general experimental account on CdX-based PEC in electrolytes for X = S, Se, and Te. For eight of the nine 

In their earlier work, Modes et al. [53] described low polarization electrodes composed of Teflon-bonded high surface area carbon, loaded with different electrocatalysts (Pt, platinized Pt, Co, Ni). The best results were obtained by using cobalt 

The importance of controlling the operating temperatures of single-crystal and polycrystalline n-CdSe/polysulfide/CoS liquid junction cells to obtain the maximum possible photoconversion has been emphasized [55], In fact, a dramatic effect of temperature was established on the power output of the cells, particularly those based on thin film electrodes. 

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