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«Development of scientific bases for hydrogen production, storage and use in autonomous energy supply systems»

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Portable photoelectrochemical cells with hydrogen accumulation

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Experimental photoelectrochemical cells with hydrogen accumulation: at the illumination of the semiconductor photoanode, hydrogen accumulates on the cathode. Second option: the cell includes three electrodes: photoanode, MH cathode and an air electrode. The reactions occurring on the electrodes in the general form are: photoanode: 2S2- + 2p+ → S22-; МН- electrode: MHx-1 + H2O + e- → MHx+OH-; air electrode: O2+ 2H2O + 4e- → 4OH-.

Area of application

It is proposed to use the developed photoelectrochemical systems to obtain pure hydrogen as an energy carrier for the production of electricity by fuel cells due to the reaction of hydrogen oxidation of oxygen from air, as well as for use hydrogen for the chemical needs

Brief description

In the photoelectrochemical system, it is proposed to replace on the anode oxygen evolution reaction by oxidation reactions of oxidation of sulfide ions, selenide ions et al., which allows the use of narrow-gap semiconductors as a cathode, and the cathodic reaction of hydrogen evolution to replace in the reaction of its accumulation using (intermetallic compounds of type АВ5 and АВ2). It is also possible to discharge the cathode and generate electricity in the PEC in the absence of solar lighting due to the reaction of hydrogen oxidation with oxygen. The anode and cathode parts of the electrochemical cell are separated by an ion-exchange membrane.

Expected results

Use as a photoanode the materials which absorb visible light (for example, a number of AIIBVI and AIIIBV compounds and others) with a bandgap of less than 2.7 eV with a modified surface, thereby significantly increasing the photopotential and reducing the interfacial recombination. The using metal-hydride electrodes with optimized kinetics of hydrogen sorption to the photoanode characteristics will allow more efficient conversion of solar energy into chemical energy of hydrogen and enables to construct the photoelectrochemical cell and solar cells based on it. This photoelectrochemical cell have the efficiency of converting sunlight energy into chemical energy of hydrogen at 9-10%, with the simultaneous accumulation of hydrogen or electricity generation in the absence of solar illumination due to the reaction of hydrogen oxidation with oxygen from air, which will be the basis for the creation of industrial installations for the production and accumulation of hydrogen.

Advantages

The hydrogen obtained in the photoelectrochemical system is very pure and does not require further purification for use. In addition, it is cheaper than that obtained with the use of solid-state solar cells and a cell, because it does not require expensive and high-tech solar cells.

Competitor

MER (Material and Electrochemical Research) Corporation (US),
MV Systems, SRI International (Menlo Park, US),
Japanese New Energy and Industrial Technology Development Organization (NEDO),
Siemens (Germany),
Hydrogenics (Canada),
BP plc, Praxair , Iwatani International (Japan).

Project development

We developed the technique of forming photosensitive nanoheterostructures of NT-TiO2/CdSe-, NT-TiO2/CdSexTe1-x- and NT-TiO2/CdxZn1-xSe and the modification of their surface by nanoscale particles (quantum dots) of some metals or semiconductors. Also we carried out the field tests of the experimental photoelectrochemical cell for hydrogen accumulation and electricity generation due to the electrochemical oxidation of hydrogen and the reduction of oxygen.

Intellectual property

  • Patent of Ukraine No. 75975 "Photoelectrochemical element with hydrogen accumulation" / Kolbasov G.Ya., Solonin Yu.M., Rusetsky IA, Danko DB; Applicants Institute for Materials Science. I.M. National Academy of Sciences of Ukraine, Institute of General and Inorganic Chemistry. V.I. Vernadsky NAS of Ukraine; Bul. No. 6, issued on 15.06.06.

    • Contact information

    V.I. Vernadsky Institute of General and Inorganic Chemistry of the NAS of Ukraine,
    I.M. Frantsevich Institute of Materials and Science of the NAS of Ukraine

    Project 7 «Portable photoelectrochemical cells with hydrogen storage»

    Project leader:

    Kolbasov Hennadii Y.

    Corresponding Memberof NAS of Ukraine
    Professor
    DoctorofChemical Sciences
    Head of Department Electrochemistry and Fotoelectrochemistry of Non-metallic Systems

    Tel. +38 044 225-22-80

    Е-mail: : kolbasov@ionc.kiev.ua
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