ENVR 83 |
| Visible light has sufficient energy to split water, but since water can not directly absorb this radiation, a semiconductor must be used to allow photoelectrolysis. The utilization of solar energy for water splitting requires a semiconductor that satisfies several well-defined criteria. Any potentially promising material must be evaluated to determine if the charge carriers (electrons and holes) are injected in to the solution at the appropriate potentials to allow simultaneous reduction and oxidation of water. Then the material absorption efficiency and operational stability must be evaluated to gauge material viability. No known material satisfies all of the requirements necessary for efficient, unbiased water splitting. This paper will summarize our recent findings on a variety of nitride, carbide, and transition metal chalcogenide semiconductor characterizations. |
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New Energy Technology
1:00 PM-2:40 PM, Tuesday, March 24, 2009 Hilton -- Alpine Ballroom West, Oral
Division of Environmental Chemistry |