Nat. Mater. https://doi.org/cw5j (2018)
Strategies for replacing fossil fuels in the Earth’s energy cycle use the production of energy carriers from renewable sources — either by photoelectrochemistry or photovoltaic energy production. Devices for both approaches have been presented, but integrating them in a single apparatus with matched performance and without efficiency losses has remained elusive. Now, Ian Sharp and colleagues have come up with a layout that allows light-induced water-splitting and production of electricity simultaneously.
Sharp et al. integrated a transition metal oxide photoanode onto a silicon wafer to form a hybrid photoelectrochemical/voltaic cell with three termini. In this assembly, carriers not used for the photoelectrochemistry can be extracted as electrical current through the third contact, circumventing current mismatches without having a detrimental impact on the hydrogen evolution. This device boosts the overall usable energy output and provides another step toward efficient solar light harvesting.
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Kraack, J.P. Straight for the sun. Nature Phys 14, 1156 (2018). https://doi.org/10.1038/s41567-018-0379-2
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DOI: https://doi.org/10.1038/s41567-018-0379-2