SCOPE
Hydrogen production
Maturity Level
TRL 2-5
Development Level
Laboratory
Protection Level
Patent
Photonic Structures in Photoelectrochemical Cells (PECs) for Optimal Solar Light Absorption
Entity:
Photonic structures of 1, 2, or 3 dimensions that form optical cavities and/or disperse light, enabling optimal absorption of solar light in PEC devices for hydrogen generation, balancing voltage and current density values. The incorporation of 3D photonic nanostructures (e.g., TiO₂ cylinders on a BiVO₄ photoanode) and/or 1D structures (e.g., thin intercalated layers of materials with different refractive indices) in H₂ PECs can increase short-circuit currents by up to 350%, improving the technical and economic viability of PEC technology overall.
Challenges met
The performance of H₂ PECs is often limited by optical and electrical imbalances among their components (photoanode, photovoltaic cells, etc.). Additionally, a large part of the solar spectrum is not utilized, resulting in low conversion efficiencies. This leads to operational parameters far below industrially relevant values.
Scope of application
- Photoelectrochemical cells for hydrogen generation
- Thin-film cells (perovskites, organic)
Main publications
- Bias‐free solar‐to‐hydrogen conversion in a BiVO4/PM6:Y6 compact tandem with optically balanced light absorption. C. G. Ferreira, C. Sansierra, F. Bernal‐Texca, M. Zhang, C. Ros, J. Martorell. Energy Environ. Mater. 7, e12679 (2023)
- Understanding the internal conversion efficiency of BiVO4/SnO2 photoanodes for solar water splitting: an experimental and computational analysis. L. Geronimo, C. G. Ferreira, V. Gacha, D. Raptis, J. Martorell, C. Ros. ACS Appl. Energy Mater. 7, 1792-1801 (2024)
Related projects
- SOREC2 – Solar Energy to power CO2 reduction towards C2 chemicals for energy storage
- LICROX (finalitzat) – Light assisted solar fuel production by artificial CO2 reduction and water oxidation
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