Unravelling the practical solar charging performance limits of redox flow batteries based on a single photon device system

Bae, Dowon; Faasse, Gerrit M.; Kanellos, Gerasimos; Smith, Wilson A.

doi:10.1039/c9se00333a

Cited by 17 publications

(36 citation statements)

References 58 publications

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“…It is noteworthy that the surface of the Si was chemically cleaned upon any electrochemical analysis by using a 3 M H 2 SO 4 solution in order to remove the native oxide layer. Using a highly acidic supporting electrolyte, such as HF, can provide a reliable environment for the measurement 25 , but one cannot avoid the formation of a toxic HCN due to instability of the ferro-/ferricyanide in low pH conditions 17 . In the case of the semiconductor/liquid junctions, the flat band potential is found to be 0.32 V for the TiO 2 .…”

Section: Resultsmentioning

confidence: 99%

“…Previously, we demonstrated functional redox flow batteries consisting of ferri-/ferrocyanide, coupled with TEMPO-sulphate and NH 4 Br 16,17 ; thus, the same electrolyte conditions were used in this work. Cu 2+/+ redox couples were additionally added as a means of obtaining a higher cell voltage than that with TEMPOsulphate.…”

Section: Photoelectrochemical Behaviour and Efficiency Loss Analysismentioning

confidence: 99%

“…3). These devices have been proven as effective photoelectrodes, which deliver photovoltage (V ph ) of over 0.51 V in previous SRFB studies 16,17 . Onset potential (at 10 mA cm −2 ) under the light of approximately 0.8 V NHE from the LSVs under the light ( Fig.…”

Section: Photoelectrochemical Behaviour and Efficiency Loss Analysismentioning

confidence: 99%

“…Unlike conventional PEC fuel conversion processes, SRFB offers flexibility with respect to redox potential, which results in an unprecedented wide selection of band-gap (E g ) of PEC materials. McKone et al 6 and other researchers 16,17 have shown meaningful conversion efficiencies using small band-gap semiconductors, such as c-Si (1.12 eV) and c-WSe 2 (1.2 eV). Further, general charging/ discharging reactions in RFB present facile kinetics, which can be several orders of magnitudes faster than other electrolysis technologies that require high overpotential 18 .…”

mentioning

confidence: 96%

“…Herein, we show how the charge transfer at the interface in SRFBs is different from that of the solar water splitting cases and present what we believe is the first report on conducting layer coverage effect and energy barrier scaling of the overpotential in redox reaction kinetics and, consequently, current-voltage behaviour. Using a c-Si photoelectrode with a buried pn-junction, which enables back-side light illumination without parasitic optical loss 17 , we demonstrate a dependency of ferri-/ferrocyanide redox reaction reactivity on the type of conducting materials and achieve the highest photo-charging efficiency among solarrechargeable redox flow cells with the single photoabsorber device. Finally, we show how these observations suggest general design principles for maximizing the photo-charging efficiency in any solar-rechargeable redox flow cells and RFBs with the direct immersion of the device.…”

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confidence: 99%

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Design principles for efficient photoelectrodes in solar rechargeable redox flow cell applications

et al. 2020

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Recent advances in photoelectrochemical redox flow cells, such as solar redox flow batteries, have received much attention as an alternative integrated technology for simultaneous conversion and storage of solar energy. Theoretically, it has been reported that even singlephoton devices can demonstrate unbiased photo-charging with high solar-to-chemical conversion efficiency; however, the poor redox kinetics of photoelectrodes reported thus far severely limit the photo-charging performance. Here, we report a band alignment design and propose surface coverage control to reduce the charge extraction barrier and create a facile carrier pathway from both n-and p-type photoelectrodes to the electrolyte with the respective redox reaction. Based on these observations, we develop a single-photon photocharging device with a solar-to-chemical conversion efficiency over 9.4% for a redox flow cell system. Along with these findings, we provide design principles for simultaneous optimisation, which may lead to enhanced conversion efficiency in the further development of solarrechargeable redox flow cells.

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Section: Resultsmentioning

confidence: 99%

Section: Photoelectrochemical Behaviour and Efficiency Loss Analysismentioning

confidence: 99%

Section: Photoelectrochemical Behaviour and Efficiency Loss Analysismentioning

confidence: 99%

mentioning

confidence: 96%

mentioning

confidence: 99%

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Design principles for efficient photoelectrodes in solar rechargeable redox flow cell applications

et al. 2020

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A 25 cm² Solar Redox Flow Cell: Facing the Engineering Challenges of Upscaling

Lopes

Dias

Monteiro

et al. 2021

Advanced Energy Materials

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The solar redox flow cell (SRFC) is an emerging technology that uses semiconductors to photocharge redox pairs, storing solar energy in electrochemical fuels and heat. Despite being in its infancy, significant efforts have been made in the development of high‐efficient materials and in understanding the fundamental processes. However, little attention has been given to device architecture and scalability, which may prove equally important in bringing this technology closer to commercialization. This work is the first attempt at upscaling SRFCs, proposing an innovative 25 cm2 photoactive‐area device: the SolarFlow25 cell. A computational fluid dynamics model is developed to implement design key features aiming at: maximizing light absorption by the semiconductor, ensuring effective diffusion and convection of redox species, and guaranteeing minimal electronic and ionic transport resistances. After being connected to a redox flow cell (RFC), the combined SRFC/RFC device is used to photocharge–discharge a ferrocyanide/anthraquinone (2,7‐AQDS) chemistry continuously. A nanostructured hematite (α‐Fe2O3) photoelectrode combined in series with a dye‐sensitized solar cell (DSSC) produces an unbiased photocurrent of ≈40 mA. The solar‐to‐output‐electricity‐efficiency remains stable at ≈0.44%, fourfold higher than any other reported hematite‐driven SRFC. The guidelines provided here are expected to help design and upscale future SRFC devices, making solar energy accessible in decentralized locations.

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Advances and Challenges in Photoelectrochemical Redox Batteries for Solar Energy Conversion and Storage

Feng

Liu

Zhang

et al. 2022

Advanced Energy Materials

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The photoelectrochemical redox battery (PRB) has been regarded as an alternative candidate for large‐scale solar energy capture, conversion, and storage as it combines the superior advantages of photoelectrochemical devices and redox batteries. As an emerging solar energy utilization technology, significant progress has been made towards promoting and proliferating the practical applications of PRBs. However, wide market penetration of PRBs is still being significantly inhibited by limited photocatalytic activity, low efficiency, among other critical issues. Furthermore, the integration of each component, including solar materials, redox couples, and membranes and their interaction in PRBs play vital roles towards achieving smooth operation and high performance. Herein, the materials, mechanisms, recent advances, and challenges in the use of PRBs are presented. The crucial influence of redox couples, photoelectrode materials, membranes on the performance of the system including how they affect solar energy capture, reaction kinetics, and internal losses are systematically discussed. In addition, the recent advances of a single‐battery of photoelectrode mode and an integrated device of solar cell mode are summarized. Furthermore, the state of the art performance of PRBs and their upscaling progress are also discussed. Finally, the challenges and perspectives for the future development of PRBs are highlighted.

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Unravelling the practical solar charging performance limits of redox flow batteries based on a single photon device system

Abstract: We present the theoretical model reflecting experimental parameters, such that we can highlight critical parameters that merit the most attention in further studies towards the practical realisation of solar-rechargeable redox flow batteries (SRFBs).

Cited by 17 publications

References 58 publications

Design principles for efficient photoelectrodes in solar rechargeable redox flow cell applications

Design principles for efficient photoelectrodes in solar rechargeable redox flow cell applications

A 25 cm² Solar Redox Flow Cell: Facing the Engineering Challenges of Upscaling

Advances and Challenges in Photoelectrochemical Redox Batteries for Solar Energy Conversion and Storage

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Unravelling the practical solar charging performance limits of redox flow batteries based on a single photon device system

Abstract: We present the theoretical model reflecting experimental parameters, such that we can highlight critical parameters that merit the most attention in further studies towards the practical realisation of solar-rechargeable redox flow batteries (SRFBs).

Cited by 17 publications

References 58 publications

Design principles for efficient photoelectrodes in solar rechargeable redox flow cell applications

Design principles for efficient photoelectrodes in solar rechargeable redox flow cell applications

A 25 cm2 Solar Redox Flow Cell: Facing the Engineering Challenges of Upscaling

Advances and Challenges in Photoelectrochemical Redox Batteries for Solar Energy Conversion and Storage

Contact Info

Product

Resources

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A 25 cm² Solar Redox Flow Cell: Facing the Engineering Challenges of Upscaling