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Photoelectrochemical Conversion Processes

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Springer Handbook of Electrochemical Energy

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Abstract

Society’s electrical needs are largely continuous. However, clouds and darkness dictate that photovoltaic solar cells have an intermittent output. A photoelectrochemical solar cell (GlossaryTerm

PEC

) can generate not only electrical but also electrochemical energy, and provide the basis for a system with an energy storage component. Sufficiently energetic insolation incident on semiconductors can drive electrochemical oxidation/reduction and generate chemical, electrical or electrochemical energy. Aspects include efficient dye sensitized or direct solar to electrical energy conversion, solar electrochemical synthesis (electrolysis), including water splitting to form hydrogen, environmental cleanup and solar energy storage cells. The PEC utilizes light to carry out an electrochemical reaction, converting light to both chemical and electrical energy. This fundamental difference of the photovoltaic (GlossaryTerm

PV

) solar cell’s solid/solid interface, and the PEC’s solid/liquid interface has several ramifications in cell function and application. Energetic constraints imposed by single bandgap semiconductors have limited the demonstrated values of photoelectrochemical solar to electrical energy conversion efficiency to 16 %, and multiple bandgap cells can lead to significantly higher conversion efficiencies.

Photoelectrochemical systems may facilitate not only solar to electrical energy conversion , but have also led to investigations in solar photoelectrochemical production of fuels and photoelectrochemical detoxification of pollutants, and efficient solar thermal electrochemical production (GlossaryTerm

STEP

) of metals, fuels, bleach and carbon capture [24.1].

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Abbreviations

CE:

counter electrode

CPV:

concentrator photovoltaic cell

IR:

infrared

MBPEC:

multiple bandgap photoelectrochemical solar cell

PEC:

photoelectrochemical

PV:

photovoltaic

SPE:

semiconductor photoelectrode

STEP:

solar thermal electrochemical production

UV:

ultraviolet

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Dept. Chemistry, George Washington University, 800 22nd Str., NW, DC 20052, Washington, USA

    Stuart Licht

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  1. Stuart Licht
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Editors and Affiliations

  1. Dept. Mechanical Engineering, TU Dresden, Helmholtzstr. 14, 01062, Dresden, Germany

    Cornelia Breitkopf

  2. Chemistry Division, US Naval Research Laboratory, 4555 Overlook Ave., DC 20375, Washington, USA

    Karen Swider-Lyons

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Licht, S. (2017). Photoelectrochemical Conversion Processes. In: Breitkopf, C., Swider-Lyons, K. (eds) Springer Handbook of Electrochemical Energy. Springer Handbooks. Springer, Berlin, Heidelberg. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-662-46657-5_24

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-662-46657-5_24

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