A solar cell that produces fuel rather than electricity. Researchers at Eindhoven University of Technology (TU/e) and FOM Foundation today present a very promising prototype of this in the journal Nature Communications.
The material gallium phosphide enables their solar cell to produce the clean fuel hydrogen gas from liquid water. Processing the gallium phosphide in the form of very small nanowires is novel and helps to boost the yield by a factor of ten. And does so using ten thousand times less precious material.
The electricity produced by a solar cell can be used to set off chemical reactions. If this generates a fuel, then one speaks of solar fuels – a hugely promising replacement for polluting fuels. One of the possibilities is to split liquid water using the electricity that is generated (electrolysis). Among oxygen, this produces hydrogen gas that can be used as a clean fuel in the chemical industry or combusted in fuel cells – in cars for example – to drive engines.
Solar fuel cell
To connect an existing silicon solar cell to a battery that splits the water may well be an efficient solution now but it is a very expensive one. Many researchers are therefore targeting their search at a semiconductor material that is able to both convert sunlight into an electrical charge and split the water, all in one; a kind of ‘solar fuel cell’. Researchers at TU/e and FOM see their dream candidate in gallium phosphide (GaP), a compound of gallium and phosphide that also serves as the basis for specific colored leds.
A tenfold boost
GaP has good electrical properties but the drawback that it cannot easily absorb light when it is a large flat surface as used in GaP solar cells. The researchers have overcome this problem by making a grid of very small GaP nanowires, measuring five hundred nanometers (a millionth of a millimeter) long and ninety nanometers thick. This immediately boosted the yield of hydrogen by a factor of ten to 2.9 percent. A record for GaP cells, even though this is still some way off the fifteen percent achieved by silicon cells coupled to a battery.
Ten thousand times less material
According to research leader and TU/e professor Erik Bakkers, it’s not simply about the yield – where there is still a lot of scope for improvement he points out: “For the nanowires we needed ten thousand less precious GaP material than in cells with a flat surface. That makes these kinds of cells potentially a great deal cheaper,” Bakkers says.
“In addition, GaP is also able to extract oxygen from the water – so you then actually have a fuel cell in which you can temporarily store your solar energy. In short, for a solar fuels future we cannot ignore gallium phosphide any longer.”
Read more: Nanowires give ‘solar fuel cell’ efficiency a tenfold boost
The Latest on: Slar fuel cell
[google_news title=”” keyword=”solar fuel cell” num_posts=”10″ blurb_length=”0″ show_thumb=”left”]
via Google News
The Latest on: Solar fuel cell
- Fueling the future: Researchers evaluate emissions in the aviation industryon April 29, 2024 at 1:59 pm
A research group led Prof. Fei Wei and Chenxi Zhang in Tsinghua University has published a perspective paper that evaluates the progression from deep-rooted fossil-fuel-dependent technologies to ...
- Hydrogen’s transformative potential as a fuel source for carson April 29, 2024 at 9:14 am
In the quest for carbon neutrality, Battery Electric Vehicles get all the hype. But does hydrogen offer unsung potential? Chris Farnell reports.
- Green hydrogen: A climate change solution or fossil fuel bait and switch?on April 29, 2024 at 5:18 am
To help solve the climate crisis, $750 million could flow to the Philadelphia region to create a hydrogen economy. But some say it’s a deceit to help the fossil fuel industry.
- Powering a Sustainable Future: Direct Methanol Fuel Cells Surge in Developing Economieson April 29, 2024 at 2:26 am
The transportation landscape is undergoing a significant shift. With concerns about climate change and air pollution reaching an all-time high, the need for sustainable alternatives to traditional ...
- What’s that?…A fuel cell that harvests energy from…dirt?on April 26, 2024 at 7:10 am
A soil microbial fuel cell where microbes in dirt could power applications which are literally “in the field”.
- LaFeO3 Perovskite Fuel Cell Technology Boosts SRMAP's Clean Energy Missionon April 26, 2024 at 6:45 am
The significance of this invention cannot be understated in an era where the reliance on clean and efficient energy conversion methods is paramount ...
- Breakthrough in Organic Solar Cells Paves Way for Wearable Solar Poweron April 25, 2024 at 5:00 pm
An international group of scientists from the University of Hong Kong (HKU) has developed a new method to improve the efficiency and stability of organic solar cells, paving the way for integrating ...
- A second solar project takes off at JFK airporton April 24, 2024 at 9:27 am
TotalEnergies began construction of an onsite solar-plus-storage system, providing energy to Port Authority and Con Edison, as well as community solar for area residents.
- Former Amazon Prime Air employees raise $4.5M for stealthy solar airplane startupon April 24, 2024 at 8:37 am
Seattle-based Radical says it has raised $4.5 million to build solar-powered, autonomous planes that can beam down connectivity and imagery.
- 10 best solar companies in Hackensack, New Jerseyon April 21, 2024 at 9:00 pm
To get a high-quality solar panel installation in Hackensack, New Jersey, you'll need to hire a certified, skilled and experienced solar installer. We've assembled a list of the best solar companies ...
via Bing News