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Title

Photoelectrolysis of water: solar hydrogen-achievements and perspectives

Author(s)

Juodkazis, Kestutis;  Juodkazyte, Jurga;  Jelmakas, Edgaras;  Kalinauskas, Putinas;  Valsiunas, Ignas;  Miecinskas, Povilas;  Juodkazis, Saulius

Abstract

Thermodynamic analysis of energy conversion from light-to-chemical, light-to-electric and electric-to-chemical is presented by the case study of water photoelectrolysis on TiO2 surface. It is demonstrated that at the current state-of-the-art energy conversion efficiency of water photoelectrolysis can be increased ∼17 times by separating the processes of solar-to-electric and electric-to-chemical energy conversion and optimizing them independently. This allows to mitigate a high overvoltage of oxygen evolution reaction with respect to thermodynamic E0O2/H2O = 1.23 V potential as well as spectrally narrow absorbtivity of solar light by TiO2 which determine the low efficiency (∼ 1.0%) of direct light-to-chemical energy conversion. Numerical estimates are provided illustrating practical principles for optimization of the solar energy conversion and storage processes.

Publication type

Journal article

Research centre

Swinburne University of Technology. Faculty of Engineering and Industrial Sciences. Centre for Micro-Photonics

Source

Optics Express, Vol. 18, no. S2 (Jun 2010), pp. A147-A160

Publication year

2010

FOR Code(s)

0205 Optical Physics;  0903 Biomedical Engineering;  1113 Ophthalmology and Optometry

Keyword(s)

Solar energy conversion;  Solar energy storage;  TiO2 surface;  Water photoelectrolysis

Publisher

Optical Society of America

ISSN

1094-4087

Publisher URL

http://dx.doi.org/10.1364/OE.18.00A147

Copyright

Copyright © 2010 Optical Society of America. Published version of the paper reproduced here in accordance with the copyright policy of the publisher. This paper was published in Optics Express and is made available as an electronic reprint with the permission of OSA. The paper can be found at the following URL on the OSA website: http://dx.doi.org/10.1364/OE.18.00A147. Systematic or multiple reproduction or distribution to multiple locations via electronic or other means is prohibited and is subject to penalties under law.

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