Photoelectrochemical production of chemical fuels is a viable method for storing solar energy. Significant research has been invested into designing new nanoscale materials for solar fuels production, however the analytical methods required to characterize these systems has lagged behind. Traditional techniques for measuring fundamental thermodynamic properties of semiconductors, such as Mott-Schottky analysis, rely on assumptions including electrode surface area and simple circuit models that are not valid with regards to complicated photoelectrodes. High-frequency resistivity is a powerful alternative to traditional Mott-Schottky measurements and provides a means of decoupling the Helmholtz layer potential drop from the bulk electrode properties. We demonstrate the value of this technique using several surface modified silicon substrates. In addition, I will discuss our recent work using nanoporous “black” silicon as a stable photocathode for the hydrogen evolution reaction. <br/>

High frequency resistivity: Determining fundamental photoelectrode properties in a complex world

253rd National Meeting (2017)

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