Photoelectrochemical Hydrogen Production

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Photoelectrochemical Hydrogen Production describes the principles and materials challenges for the conversion of sunlight into hydrogen through water splitting at a semiconducting electrode. Readers will find an analysis of the solid state properties and materials requirements for semiconducting photo-electrodes, a detailed description of the semiconductor/electrolyte interface, in addition to the photo-electrochemical (PEC) cell. Experimental techniques to investigate both materials and PEC device performance are outlined, followed by an overview of the current state-of-the-art in PEC materials and devices, and combinatorial approaches towards the development of new materials. Finally, the economic and business perspectives of PEC devices are discussed, and promising future directions indicated.

<em>Photoelectrochemical Hydrogen Production is a one-stop resource for scientists, students and R&D practitioners starting in this field, providing both the theoretical background as well as useful practical information on photoelectrochemical measurement techniques. Experts in the field benefit from the chapters on current state-of-the-art materials/devices and future directions.


E-Book Content

Electronic Materials: Science & Technology Series Editor: Harry L. Tuller Professor of Materials Science and Engineering Massachusetts Institute of Technology Cambridge, Massachusetts [email protected] For further volumes: http://www.springer.com/series/5915 Roel van de Krol l Michael Gra¨tzel Editors Photoelectrochemical Hydrogen Production Editors Roel van de Krol Department of Chemical Engineering/ Materials for Energy Conversion and Storage Faculty of Applied Sciences Delft University of Technology P.O. Box 5045, 2600 GA Delft The Netherlands [email protected] Michael Gra¨tzel Laboratory for Photonics and Interfaces Ecole Polytechnique Fe´de´rale de Lausanne CH-1015 Lausanne, Switzerland [email protected] ISSN 1386-3290 ISBN 978-1-4614-1379-0 e-ISBN 978-1-4614-1380-6 DOI 10.1007/978-1-4614-1380-6 Springer New York Dordrecht Heidelberg London Library of Congress Control Number: 2011939087 # Springer Science+Business Media, LLC 2012 All rights reserved. This work may not be translated or copied in whole or in part without the written permission of the publisher (Springer Science+Business Media, LLC, 233 Spring Street, New York, NY 10013, USA), except for brief excerpts in connection with reviews or scholarly analysis. Use in connection with any form of information storage and retrieval, electronic adaptation, computer software, or by similar or dissimilar methodology now known or hereafter developed is forbidden. The use in this publication of trade names, trademarks, service marks, and similar terms, even if they are not identified as such, is not to be taken as an expression of opinion as to whether or not they are subject to proprietary rights. Printed on acid-free paper Springer is part of Springer Science+Business Media (www.springer.com) Preface Hydrogen is a highly versatile fuel that may become one of the key pillars to support our future energy infrastructure. It can be efficiently converted into electricity using a fuel cell, or it can directly drive an internal combustion engine. Using hydrogen is clean; the only reaction product upon oxidation is pure water, with little or no exhaust of greenhouse gases. It can eve