Issue 24, 2014

Silicon based tandem cells: novel photocathodes for hydrogen production

Abstract

A photovoltaic tandem cell made of amorphous silicon (a-Si) and microcrystalline silicon (μc-Si) was investigated as a photocathode for hydrogen evolution in a photoelectrochemical device. The electronic and electrochemical properties of the samples were characterized using X-ray photoemission spectroscopy (XPS) and cyclic voltammetry (CV), whereas the morphology of the surface in contact with the electrolyte was investigated by scanning electron microscopy (SEM). The electric efficiency of the tandem cell was determined to be 5.2% in a photoelectrochemical (PEC) setup in acidic solution which is only about half of the photovoltaic efficiency of the tandem cell. A significant improvement in efficiency was achieved with platinum as a catalyst which was deposited by physical vapour deposition (PVD) under ultra-high vacuum (UHV) conditions.

Graphical abstract: Silicon based tandem cells: novel photocathodes for hydrogen production

Article information

Article type
Paper
Submitted
09 Dec 2013
Accepted
11 Mar 2014
First published
12 Mar 2014

Phys. Chem. Chem. Phys., 2014,16, 12043-12050

Silicon based tandem cells: novel photocathodes for hydrogen production

W. Calvet, E. Murugasen, J. Klett, B. Kaiser, W. Jaegermann, F. Finger, S. Hoch, M. Blug and J. Busse, Phys. Chem. Chem. Phys., 2014, 16, 12043 DOI: 10.1039/C3CP55198A

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