Inorganic semiconductor photoelectrodes with high aspect ratio form factors are actively being studied as light harvesting components in photoelectrochemical cells. This presentation describes experimental and modeling results that detail the operation of semiconductor nanowire photoelectrodes under white illumination. Specifically, the design criteria involved in thin nanowire photoelectrodes operating in a heterojunction configuration under low level and high level injection are outlined. The concerted requirements for the morphology and electronic properties (e.g. doping, mobility, charge carrier lifetime, surface defect density) are detailed for some model systems. Additionally, an alternative nanowire photoelectrode configuration operating under high level injection conditions is presented that relaxes the stringent design requirements, potentially enabling the use of a greater set of semiconductor materials within the thin nanowire design.

Analysis of the operation of nanostructured semiconductor photoelectrodes in photoelectrochemical cells

246th National Meeting (2013)

The official archive and repository for all ACS Meetings & Expositions abstracts and select posters or presentations.