by Researchers from the University of Hamburg, DESY, and LMU Munich have made significant progress in the field of photo-electrochemistry (PEC), which has the potential to convert renewable energy, particularly solar light, into green fuels. The team has developed a multi-modal setup that can determine structural changes in PEC materials under realistic operating conditions. The results of their study have been published in the journal Angewandte Chemie International Edition.
As society moves towards a transition from fossil fuels to renewable alternatives, the development of efficient PEC technology becomes increasingly important. PEC enables the direct conversion of water into its two components, oxygen and hydrogen, using solar energy. Hydrogen, in particular, holds great value as it can be used as a building block for the industrial production of many chemical compounds. It can also be stored, transported, and burned on demand as a green fuel, with water being the only waste product. However, despite the potential of PEC, no material has been successfully transferred from the laboratory to a real-world working device.
One of the main challenges in PEC technology is its low stability in continuous operation. The conditions required for photo-electrochemical processes are harsh, leading to the degradation of most PEC materials over time. While many of these degradation phenomena are still not well understood, gaining insight into them is crucial for the development of more stable and efficient PEC materials.
Photo-electrochemical water splitting is a complex process, and understanding its various phenomena requires the use of complementary techniques that provide different perspectives. Spectroscopy can target specific chemical species that may form on the material’s surface or within the electrolyte, while X-ray scattering offers an overall perspective of the atomic arrangement in PEC materials. By combining these techniques, researchers can reconstruct the photo-degradation process and gain a better understanding of the underlying mechanisms.
In their study, the team focused on the PEC properties of CuBi2O4 films and observed a fast photo-degradation process that resulted in a loss of around 90% of the material’s performance within minutes of operation. To investigate this process, the researchers used high-brilliance X-ray radiation from the PETRA III X-ray radiation source at DESY. This allowed them to collect scattering patterns with high time resolution, providing detailed insight into the dynamics of the photo-degradation process.
The X-ray radiation interacts with the material’s surface, creating characteristic scattering patterns. Low-angle scattering provides information about the outer shape of the PEC film, while high-angle scattering reveals its atomic arrangement. By using two different detectors, the researchers were able to obtain a comprehensive representation of the material’s structure during PEC operation.
Looking ahead, the researchers aim to develop new strategies to increase the stability and efficiency of PEC devices. Understanding the degradation of PEC materials is just the first step towards achieving this goal. Further advancements in PEC technology will contribute to the transition towards renewable energy and a greener future.
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1. Source: Coherent Market Insights, Public sources, Desk research
2. We have leveraged AI tools to mine information and compile it
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