A measurement system for photoelectrochemical processes with high
quality irradiation, temperature control and automated gas analysis
Abstract
In this Application Note, a versatile and reliable measurement system
for photoelectrochemical investigations is described which aims to
assist scientists in obtaining reproducible photoelectrochemical data of
high quality, including the solar-to-hydrogen (STH) efficiency.
Specifically, it addresses the parameters irradiation quality, reaction
temperature and gas measurement. The setup is designed to exclude stray
light and uses a solar-grade mirror to reflect the light of a vertical
solar simulator on the electrochemical cell. The light quality in the
setup (»AAA«, IEC 60904-9) is close to the classification of the solar
simulator itself. The temperature in the electrochemical cell is
controlled with an external Peltier element and can be kept constant in
the range of 20–45 °C. The influence of reaction temperature on the
photocurrent of a WO 3 photoanode is demonstrated. The
gaseous reaction products are analyzed with a mobile gas chromatograph,
using an automated measurement routine with discontinuous sampling from
the electrochemical cell. The system is applied to determine the Faraday
and STH efficiencies of a copper indium gallium selenide photocathode.