Water photolysis apparatus
AssigneeRCA Corporation
InventorsKazuo Miyatani, Isao Sato
Life of this patent
Estimating the term…
Abstract
A nickel cathode has a nickel oxide layer on its surfaces. A plurality of spaced apart grooves are in the nickel oxide layer and extend into the nickel. The cathode can be utilized in a water photolysis apparatus which also includes an N type photocatalytic semiconductor anode. Both the cathode and anode are in an aqueous basic electrolyte solution. The anode and cathode are electrically biased by a solar cell. The biasing potential of the solar cell raises the voltage potential of the cathode and lowers the Fermi level of the anode.
Claims7
A cathode capable of being utilized in a photolysis apparatus comprising:
- a nickel substrate;
- and
- a nickel monoxide layer on said nickel substrate with a plurality of spaced apart grooves, said grooves extending through said nickel oxide layer and into said nickel substrate.
A photolysis apparatus comprising:
- a housing;
- an aqueous basic electrolyte solution in said housing;
- a photocatalytic semiconductor anode in said housing and contacting said solution;
- a cathode in said housing and contacting said solution, wherein said cathode is comprised of a nickel substrate and a nickel monoxide layer on said nickel substrate surfaces, and further having a plurality of spaced apart grooves, said grooves extending through said nickel oxide layer and exposing said nickel substrate;
- and
- an electrical biasing means in series with said anode and cathode.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.