Stress-induced bandgap-shifted semiconductor photoelectrolytic/photocatalytic/photovoltaic surface and method for making same
OwnerJohn M. Guerrainventor
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Abstract
Titania is a semiconductor and photocatalyst that is also chemically inert. With its bandgap of 3.0, to activate the photocatalytic property of titania requires light of about 390 nm wavelength, which is in the ultra-violet, where sunlight is very low in intensity. A method and devices are disclosed wherein stress is induced and managed in a thin film of titania in order to shift and lower the bandgap energy into the longer wavelengths that are more abundant in sunlight. Applications of this stress-induced bandgap-shifted titania photocatalytic surface include photoelectrolysis for production of hydrogen gas from water, photovoltaics for production of electricity, and photocatalysis for detoxification and disinfection.
Claims16
A photocatalytic method for detoxification and/or disinfection of materials in a fluid, the method comprising:
- providing a photocatalyst comprising a substrate having at least one curved portion and a stress-induced bandgap shifted semiconductor thin film overlying the curved portion;
- contacting the semiconductor thin film with the fluid to be detoxified and/or disinfected;
- and
- while the semiconductor thin film is in contact with the fluid, exposing the photocatalyst to light, thereby causing generation of oxidizing species at the surface of the photocatalyst in contact with the fluid and detoxification and/or disinfection of the fluid.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.