Capillary photoelectrode structures for photoelectrochemical and photocatalytic cells
AssigneeThe United States of America as represented by the Secretary of Agriculture
InventorsXudong Wang, Zhaodong Li, Zhiyong Cai, Chunhua Yao
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Abstract
Photocatalytic structures having a capillary-force based electrolyte delivery system are provided. Also provided are photoelectrochemical and photocatalytic cells incorporating the structures and methods for using the cells to generate hydrogen and/or oxygen from water. The photocatalytic structures use an electrolyte-transporting strip comprising a porous network of cellulose nanofibers to transport electrolyte from a body of the electrolyte to a porous photoelectrode or a porous photocatalytic substrate via capillary force.
Claims22
A photoelectrochemical cell comprising:
- (a) a body of electrolyte;
- (b) a capillary photoelectrode structure comprising:
- an electrolyte-transporting strip comprising a porous network of cellulose nanofibers;
- and
- a working electrode comprising a porous photocatalytic material;
- wherein the electrolyte-transporting strip separates the body of electrolyte from the porous photocatalytic material and is configured to transport electrolyte from the body of electrolyte to the porous photocatalytic material via capillary force;
- and
- (c) a counter electrode in electrical communication with the working electrode.
A method of producing hydrogen using a photoelectrochemical cell having a capillary photoelectrode structure comprising:
- an electrolyte-transporting strip comprising a porous network of cellulose nanofibers;
- and a working photoelectrode comprising a porous photocatalytic material in contact with a first portion of the electrolyte-transporting strip, the method comprising:
- contacting a second portion of the electrolyte-transporting strip with a body of aqueous electrolyte, whereby aqueous electrolyte from the body of aqueous electrolyte is transported through the porous network of cellulose nanofibers and into the porous photocatalytic material via capillary force;
- exposing the porous photocatalytic material and the aqueous electrolyte contained therein to radiation that induces the photoelectrochemical splitting of water in the aqueous electrolyte to H2 and O2;
- and
- collecting the H2.
A photocatalytic cell comprising:
- (a) a body of electrolyte;
- and
- (b) a capillary photocatalytic structure comprising:
- an electrolyte-transporting strip comprising a porous network of cellulose nanofibers;
- and
- a photocatalytic substrate comprising a porous photocatalytic material;
- wherein the electrolyte-transporting strip separates the body of electrolyte from the porous photocatalytic material and is configured to transport electrolyte from the body of electrolyte to the porous photocatalytic material via capillary force.
A method of producing hydrogen using a photocatalytic cell having a capillary photocatalytic structure comprising:
- an electrolyte-transporting strip comprising a porous network of cellulose nanofibers;
- and a photocatalytic substrate comprising a porous photocatalytic material in contact with a first portion of the electrolyte-transporting strip, the method comprising:
- contacting a second portion of the electrolyte-transporting strip with a body of aqueous electrolyte, whereby aqueous electrolyte from the body of aqueous electrolyte is transported through the porous network of cellulose nanofibers and into the porous photocatalytic material via capillary force;
- exposing the porous photocatalytic material and the aqueous electrolyte contained therein to radiation that induces the photocatalytic splitting of water in the aqueous electrolyte to H2 and O2;
- and
- collecting the H2.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.