Abstract
FUJISHIMA and Honda1 have described the photosensitised electrolysis of water on n-type T1O2 single-crystal electrodes and proposed this reaction be used for solar-energy conversion. The process differs from conventional electrolysis since photocurrents can be generated without the application of an external potential, and thus direct conversion of light to electrical energy is possible. Since their report, several groups have investigated this system2–4 but, as a consequence of the broad-band irradiation used, accurate quantum yields could not be determined. Here we report successful measurements of the variation of quantum efficiency with intensity. Our main finding is that these crystals become efficient converters if a small voltage is applied, even at intensities of 12 mW cm−2.
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References
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CAREY, J., OLIVER, B. Intensity effects in the electrochemical photolysis of water at the TiO2 electrode. Nature 259, 554–556 (1976). https://doi.org/10.1038/259554a0
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DOI: https://doi.org/10.1038/259554a0
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