Photogalvanic cell
AssigneeCommissariat a l'Energie Atomique
InventorsGerard Folcher, Jacques Paris
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Abstract
The photogalvanic cell is particularly intended for converting solar energy into electrical energy. The photogalvanic cell comprises two electrodes in a liquid system comprising a photosensitive constituent, which is formed by the uranyl ion UO.sub.2.sup.2+. The liquid system comprises a second constituent which is a cation and more particularly Ce.sup.3+. The second constituent can also be an anion and in particular NO.sub.3.sup.- or SCN.sup.-. One of the electrodes is of polished platinum and the other of a chemically inert conductive substance, particularly graphite. The photogalvanic cell can also be coupled to a photovoltaic cell.
Claims8
A photogalvanic cell comprising two electrodes arranged in a liquid system comprising a first photosensitive constituent, consisting of the uranyl ion UO.sub.2.sup.2+ and a second constituent A.sub.red able to reduce the uranyl ion UO.sub.2.sup.2+ when the latter is brought into an excited state UO.sub.2.sup.2+* by the absorption of a photon and which can be transformed into an oxidized type A.sub.ox, the second constitutent A.sub.red being such that the redox potential of A.sub.red /A.sub.ox is below 2.6 V relative to the standard hydrogen electrode (SHE) wherein the second constituent is a cation having a redox potential higher than 1 V relative to the standard hydrogen electrode or an anion selected from the group consisting of NO.sub.3.sup.- and SCN.sup.-, and the liquid system comprises a solvent inert with respect to UO.sub.2.sup.+ and A.sub.red.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.