Abstract
Conventional photoelectrochemical and photovoltaic theory predicts a light intensity threshold for sustaining the net electrolysis of water using semiconductor electrodes, but a stochastic charge-transfer formalism for photoelectrolysis reactions does not predict such threshold behavior. This work examines the theoretical and experimental aspects of light-assisted water electrolysis using n-type SrTiO3/H2O interfaces. A theoretical framework, based upon simple chemical kinetic considerations, has been formulated to describe the behavior of such photoelectrosynthetic cells. Experiments conducted on the n-SrTiO3/5.0 M NaOH(aq)/Pt photoelectrosynthetic cell have revealed a threshold in the short-circuit electrolysis current at 5 × 10-5 W/cm2 of 325-nm illumination. Additional theory and experiments have provided insight into relationships between two-electrode regenerative photoelectrochemical cells, two-electrode photoelectrosynthetic cells, and three-electrode potentiostatic cells. These experiments and theory indicate that a conventional chemical kinetic treatment of interfacial electron-transfer rates appears to be sufficient to describe the photoelectrochemical behavior of SrTiO3 and TiO2/aqueous junctions.
| Original language | English |
|---|---|
| Pages (from-to) | 834-842 |
| Number of pages | 9 |
| Journal | Journal of Physical Chemistry |
| Volume | 96 |
| Issue number | 2 |
| Publication status | Published - 1992 |
Fingerprint
ASJC Scopus subject areas
- Physical and Theoretical Chemistry
Cite this
Electrolysis of water at SrTiO3 photoelectrodes : Distinguishing between the statistical and stochastic formalisms for electron-transfer processes in fuel-forming photoelectrochemical systems. / Kumar, Amit; Santangelo, Patrick G.; Lewis, Nathan S.
In: Journal of Physical Chemistry, Vol. 96, No. 2, 1992, p. 834-842.Research output: Contribution to journal › Article
}
TY - JOUR
T1 - Electrolysis of water at SrTiO3 photoelectrodes
T2 - Distinguishing between the statistical and stochastic formalisms for electron-transfer processes in fuel-forming photoelectrochemical systems
AU - Kumar, Amit
AU - Santangelo, Patrick G.
AU - Lewis, Nathan S
PY - 1992
Y1 - 1992
N2 - Conventional photoelectrochemical and photovoltaic theory predicts a light intensity threshold for sustaining the net electrolysis of water using semiconductor electrodes, but a stochastic charge-transfer formalism for photoelectrolysis reactions does not predict such threshold behavior. This work examines the theoretical and experimental aspects of light-assisted water electrolysis using n-type SrTiO3/H2O interfaces. A theoretical framework, based upon simple chemical kinetic considerations, has been formulated to describe the behavior of such photoelectrosynthetic cells. Experiments conducted on the n-SrTiO3/5.0 M NaOH(aq)/Pt photoelectrosynthetic cell have revealed a threshold in the short-circuit electrolysis current at 5 × 10-5 W/cm2 of 325-nm illumination. Additional theory and experiments have provided insight into relationships between two-electrode regenerative photoelectrochemical cells, two-electrode photoelectrosynthetic cells, and three-electrode potentiostatic cells. These experiments and theory indicate that a conventional chemical kinetic treatment of interfacial electron-transfer rates appears to be sufficient to describe the photoelectrochemical behavior of SrTiO3 and TiO2/aqueous junctions.
AB - Conventional photoelectrochemical and photovoltaic theory predicts a light intensity threshold for sustaining the net electrolysis of water using semiconductor electrodes, but a stochastic charge-transfer formalism for photoelectrolysis reactions does not predict such threshold behavior. This work examines the theoretical and experimental aspects of light-assisted water electrolysis using n-type SrTiO3/H2O interfaces. A theoretical framework, based upon simple chemical kinetic considerations, has been formulated to describe the behavior of such photoelectrosynthetic cells. Experiments conducted on the n-SrTiO3/5.0 M NaOH(aq)/Pt photoelectrosynthetic cell have revealed a threshold in the short-circuit electrolysis current at 5 × 10-5 W/cm2 of 325-nm illumination. Additional theory and experiments have provided insight into relationships between two-electrode regenerative photoelectrochemical cells, two-electrode photoelectrosynthetic cells, and three-electrode potentiostatic cells. These experiments and theory indicate that a conventional chemical kinetic treatment of interfacial electron-transfer rates appears to be sufficient to describe the photoelectrochemical behavior of SrTiO3 and TiO2/aqueous junctions.
UR - http://www.scopus.com/inward/record.url?scp=0010140812&partnerID=8YFLogxK
UR - http://www.scopus.com/inward/citedby.url?scp=0010140812&partnerID=8YFLogxK
M3 - Article
VL - 96
SP - 834
EP - 842
JO - Journal of Physical Chemistry
JF - Journal of Physical Chemistry
SN - 0022-3654
IS - 2
ER -