Photoelectrochemical system, useful for producing hydrogen for chemical water splitting on e.g. semiconductor photoelectrodes, comprises substrate including multiple folded thin films made of semiconductor material

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This patent describes a photoelectrochemical system designed for efficient hydrogen production via water splitting. It uses a substrate composed of multiple folded thin films made of semiconductor material that are interspersed with specifically shaped metal nanoparticles. This structure helps create electrostatic near fields under light exposure, improving charge separation and overall efficiency of hydrogen generation.

Use CasesContent extracted from patent full text and abstract with AI.

• Hydrogen generation for clean fuel and energy storage applications
• Integration into solar-driven water splitting devices for sustainable hydrogen production
• Use in chemical plants needing on-site hydrogen production
• Incorporation into renewable energy systems for storing excess electricity as hydrogen
• Development of portable hydrogen generation units

BenefitsContent extracted from patent full text and abstract with AI.

• Increases efficiency of photoelectrochemical water splitting and hydrogen production
• Utilizes nanostructures and semiconductor materials to optimize light absorption and charge transfer
• Potentially lowers the cost and environmental impact of hydrogen production
• Enables scalable and adaptable design for different sizes and applications
• Offers greater surface area for reactions due to unique thin film and nanoparticle configuration

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Patent Abstract

The system (01) comprises a substrate (02) including multiple folded thin films made of a semiconductor material (03), where the thin films have dimensions such that the electrostatic near fields are formed under incident light of nanoparticles (10) and a band bending is produced between the nanoparticles and the semiconductor material. The distribution and the size of the metal nanoparticles and the thickness of the thin films are selected such that the thin films completely or almost completely are interspersed with the metal nanoparticles by the near-fields. The system (01) comprises a substrate (02) including multiple folded thin films made of a semiconductor material (03), where the thin films have dimensions such that the electrostatic near fields are formed under incident light of nanoparticles (10) and a band bending is produced between the nanoparticles and the semiconductor material. The distribution and the size of the metal nanoparticles and the thickness of the thin films are selected such that the thin films completely or almost completely are interspersed with the metal nanoparticles by the near-fields. An interface of nanoparticles to the semiconductor material is greater than the boundary surface to the aqueous electrolyte. The nanoparticles have a non-spherical and non-cubic shape. The nanoparticles have a triangular, tetrahedral, or cylindrical shape, and are designed in the manner of a fishing pattern. The thin films are made of a conductive, and the light-absorbing semiconductor material is formed with a small diffusion length for the excess charge carriers. The thin films are made of porous or amorphous silicon. The thin films have a porous surface layer into which the nanoparticles are embedded. The nanoparticles have a diameter of 1-50 nm and a pitch of 100-200 nm. The near-fields have a thickness of 10-20 nm. The thin films have a thickness of 20-100 nm. A contact surface is electrically connected with the thin films. The system further comprises conductors that are arranged from an electrically conductive light-absorbing material through which the majority charge carriers are to the contact surface. The conductors are made of metal or semiconductor material. The conductors are constructed as three-dimensional network. The contact surface and the aqueous electrolyte (04) are electrically and conductively connected to a potentiostat.