Artificial photosynthesis module

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-10351964-B2
Application number	US-201815976046-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	May 10, 2018
Priority date	Nov 30, 2015
Publication date	Jul 16, 2019
Grant date	Jul 16, 2019

Abstract

In an artificial photosynthesis module, a plurality of first electrode portions of a hydrogen generation electrode are disposed side by side with a gap, and each of a plurality of second electrode portions of an oxygen generation electrode is disposed at a gap between the first electrode portions of the hydrogen generation electrode as seen from the hydrogen generation electrode side with respect to the diaphragm. A first photocatalyst layer of at least one first electrode portion of the hydrogen generation electrode or a second photocatalyst layer of at least one of the second electrode portions of the oxygen generation electrode is tilted with respect to a flow direction of an electrolytic aqueous solution, or a projecting part is provided on a surface of the first photocatalyst layer of at least one first electrode portion of the hydrogen generation electrode or a surface of the second photocatalyst layer of at least one second electrode portion of the oxygen generation electrode.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. An artificial photosynthesis module comprising:
a hydrogen generation electrode that includes a first base material and a first photocatalyst layer and has a plurality of first electrode portions electrically connected to each other;
an oxygen generation electrode that includes a second base material and a second photocatalyst layer and has a plurality of second electrode portions electrically connected to each other; and
a diaphragm provided between the hydrogen generation electrode and the oxygen generation electrode, the hydrogen generation electrode and the oxygen generation electrode being electrically connected to each other,
wherein the oxygen generation electrode is present opposite to the hydrogen generation electrode across the diaphragm,
wherein the plurality of first electrode portions of the hydrogen generation electrode are disposed side by side with a gap between each of the side by side portions, and each of the plurality of second electrode portions of the oxygen generation electrode is disposed respectively in one of the gaps between each of the side by side portions as seen from the hydrogen generation electrode side with respect to the diaphragm, and
wherein the first photocatalyst layer is formed as part of at least one of the first electrode portions or the second electrode portion, and is tilted with respect to a flow direction of an electrolytic aqueous solution, or a projecting part is provided on a surface of the first photocatalyst layer of at least one of the first electrode portions of the hydrogen generation electrode or a surface of the second photocatalyst layer of at least one of the second electrode portions of the oxygen generation electrode.

2. The artificial photosynthesis module according to claim 1 ,
wherein a tilt angle of the photocatalyst layer of at least one electrode portion of the hydrogen generation electrode or the oxygen generation electrode is 5° or more and 45° or less with respect to the flow direction of the electrolytic aqueous solution.

3. The artificial photosynthesis module according to claim 1 ,
wherein the photocatalyst layer of 50% or more electrode portions among all the electrode portions of the hydrogen generation electrode or the oxygen generation electrode is tilted with respect to the flow direction of the electrolytic aqueous solution.

4. The artificial photosynthesis module according to claim 1 ,
wherein, where a length of a side, in the flow direction of the electrolytic aqueous solution, of the first electrode portions and the second electrode portions is a width of the electrode portions, the width of the electrode portions is 10 μm to 10 mm.

5. The artificial photosynthesis module according to claim 1 ,
wherein a height of the projecting part from the surface on which the projecting part is provided is 0.1 mm or more and less than 1.0 mm.

6. The artificial photosynthesis module according to claim 1 ,
wherein the projecting part has a periodic structure in which a height from the surface changes periodically with respect to the flow direction of the electrolytic aqueous solution, and a pitch of the periodic structure with respect to the flow direction of the electrolytic aqueous solution is 1.0 mm or more and less than 10 mm.

7. The artificial photosynthesis module according to claim 1 ,
wherein the projecting part has a face parallel to the flow direction of the electrolytic aqueous solution.

8. The artificial photosynthesis module according to claim 1 ,
wherein the projecting part has a tilted face tilted with respect to the flow direction of the electrolytic aqueous solution, and a tilt angle of the tilted face with respect to the flow direction of the electrolytic aqueous solution is 5° or more and 45° or less.

9. An artificial photosynthesis module comprising:
a hydrogen generation electrode that includes a first base material and a first photocatalyst layer and has a plurality of first electrode portions electrically connected to each other;
an oxygen generation electrode that includes a second base material and a second photocatalyst layer and has a plurality of second electrode portions electrically connected to each other; and
a diaphragm provided between the hydrogen generation electrode and the oxygen generation electrode, the hydrogen generation electrode and the oxygen generation electrode being electrically connected to each other,
wherein the oxygen generation electrode is present opposite to the hydrogen generation electrode across the diaphragm,
wherein the plurality of first electrode portions of the hydrogen generation electrode are disposed side by side with a gap between each of the side by side portions, and each of the plurality of second electrode portions of the oxygen generation electrode is disposed respectively in one of the gaps between each of the side by side portions as seen from the hydrogen generation electrode side with respect to the diaphragm, and
wherein the first photocatalyst layer is formed as part of at least one of the first electrode portions or the second electrode portion, and is tilted with respect to a flow direction of an electrolytic aqueous solution, or a projecting part is provided on a surface of the first photocatalyst layer of at least one of the first electrode portions of the hydrogen generation electrode or a surface of the second photocatalyst layer of at least one of the second electrode portions of the oxygen generation electrode.

10. The artificial photosynthesis module according to claim 9 ,
wherein a tilt angle of the photocatalyst layer of at least one electrode portion of the hydrogen generation electrode or the oxygen generation electrode is 5° or more and 45° or less with respect to the diaphragm.

11. The artificial photosynthesis module according to claim 9 ,
wherein the photocatalyst layer of 50% or more electrode portions among all the electrode portions of the hydrogen generation electrode or the oxygen generation electrode is tilted with respect to the diaphragm.

12. The artificial photosynthesis module according to claim 9 ,
wherein, where a length of a side, in the flow direction of the electrolytic aqueous solution, of the first electrode portions and the second electrode portions is a width of the electrode portions, a width of the electrode portions is 10 μm to 10 mm.

13. The artificial photosynthesis module according to claim 9 ,
wherein a height of the projecting part from the surface on which the projecting part is provided is 0.1 mm or more and 5.0 mm or less.

14. The artificial photosynthesis module according to claim 9 ,
wherein the projecting part has a periodic structure in which a height from the surface changes periodically with respect to the flow direction of the electrolytic aqueous solution, and a pitch of the periodic structure with respect to the flow direction of the electrolytic aqueous solution is 1.0 mm or more and less than 10 mm.

15. The artificial photosynthesis module according to claim 9 ,
wherein the projecting part has a face parallel to the flow direction of the electrolytic aqueous solution.

16. The artificial photosynthesis module according to claim 9 ,
wherein the projecting part has a tilted face tilted with respect to the flow direction of the electrolytic aqueous solution, and a tilt angle of the tilted face with respect to the flow direction of the electrolytic aqueous solution is 5° or more and 45° or less.

17. An artificial photosynthesis module comprising:
an oxygen generation electrode that decomposes an electrolytic aqueous solutio

Assignees

• Fujifilm Corp
• Japan Tech Research Association Of Artificial Photosynthetic Chemical Process

Inventors

• Yoshida Satoshi
• Nagate Hiroshi

Classifications

• Y02E60/366

  Cross-Sectional Technologies · mapped topic

• C25B9/18

  Chemistry & Metallurgy · mapped topic

• C25B1/003

  Chemistry & Metallurgy · mapped topic

• C25B11/02 Primary

  characterised by shape or form · CPC title

• C25B9/08

  Chemistry & Metallurgy · mapped topic