All-vanadium photoelectrochemical storage cells using dye sensitized geometry-enhanced TiO2 nanobelts

作者：Shen Yi; Wei Zi; Liu Dong; Almakrami Husain; Liu Fuqiang^*

来源：Materials Research Bulletin, 2017, 96: 431-436.

DOI：10.1016/j.materresbull.2017.03.050

• Solar energy
• Photoelectrochemical
• Vanadium redox
• Dye sensitization
• Storage

Photoelectrochemical (PEC) devices, which use solar energy to drive charge transfer, have been considered as a low cost and effective approach to harvest energy from the sun. Dye sensitization designs are promising alternative to traditional semiconductor-based cells, as they can absorb a wide spectrum of light and provide free energy for PEC reactions. However, an intricate balance exists between a number of series charge-transfer processes related to the dye sensitizer, redox species, and photoelectrode. Here, we study a dye-sensitized photoelectrode using nanostructured anatase TiO2 nanobelts (TNBs) in the newly developed all-vanadium PEC storage cell (all-V PESC) to understand the performance dominating factor as well as to enhance photoexcitation and charge transfer, thus the solar energy storage efficiency. Preliminary results show enhanced photocurrent and reduced charge transfer resistance under AM1.5 illumination upon dye sensitization. Under visible light, however, large specific surface area of the photoelectrode seems to dominate the PEC performance.

• 出版日期2017-12