Photoelectrochemical reaction device

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-10378116-B2
Application number	US-201615248812-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Aug 26, 2016
Priority date	Mar 24, 2014
Publication date	Aug 13, 2019
Grant date	Aug 13, 2019

Abstract

A photoelectrochemical reaction device of an embodiment includes: a first stack including a first electrode, a second electrode, and a photovoltaic layer provided therebetween; a second stack including a third electrode electrically connected to the first electrode, a fourth electrode electrically connected to the second electrode, and an ion migration layer provided therebetween; and an electrolytic solution tank storing a first electrolytic solution in which the third electrode is immersed and a second electrolytic solution in which the fourth electrode is immersed. One of the third and fourth electrodes causes an oxidation reaction, and the other of the third and fourth electrodes causes a reduction reaction. The third and fourth electrodes have ion permeability. An area of the second stack is larger than that of the first stack.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. A photoelectrochemical reaction device, comprising:
a first stack comprising a first electrode, a second electrode, and a photovoltaic layer provided between the first electrode and the second electrode;
a second stack comprising a third electrode having ion permeability, a fourth electrode having ion permeability, and an ion migration layer provided between the third electrode and the fourth electrode, one of the third and fourth electrodes causing an oxidation reaction and the other of the third and fourth electrodes causing a reduction reaction;
a first connecting member electrically connecting the first electrode and the third electrode;
a second connecting member electrically connecting the second electrode and the fourth electrode; and
an electrolytic solution tank including a first storage part to store a first electrolytic solution in which the first and third electrodes are immersed and a second storage part to store a second electrolytic solution in which the second and fourth electrodes are immersed,
wherein an area of the second stack is larger than that of the first stack.

2. The device according to claim 1 , wherein the area of the second stack is twice or more the area of the first stack.

3. The device according to claim 1 , wherein each of the third and fourth electrodes has an ion permeation hole.

4. The device according to claim 1 , wherein the ion migration layer has an ion exchange membrane, the first electrolytic solution, or the second electrolytic solution.

5. The device according to claim 1 , wherein the second stack further comprises an oxidation catalyst layer provided on the one of the third and fourth electrodes and a reduction catalyst layer provided on the other of the third and fourth electrodes.

6. The device according to claim 1 , wherein the electrolytic solution tank has a window part provided so as to allow the light to be irradiated mainly to the first stack.

7. The device according to claim 1 , further comprising:
a lens focusing light irradiated from an outside of the electrolytic solution tank to the first stack.

8. The device according to claim 7 , wherein the area of the second stack is equal to or larger than the area of the first stack multiplied by a light focusing magnification of the lens.

9. The device according to claim 7 , wherein the second stack is disposed in a region other than a region irradiated with the light focused by the lens.

10. The device according to claim 1 , wherein the photovoltaic layer has at least one of a pin-junction semiconductor and a pn-junction semiconductor.

11. The device according to claim 1 , wherein the one of the third and fourth electrodes oxidizes water to generate oxygen and hydrogen ions, and the other of the third and fourth electrodes reduces carbon dioxide to generate a carbon compound.

Assignees

• Toshiba Kk

Inventors

• Kudo Yuki
• Mikoshiba Satoshi
• Ono Akihiko
• Tamura Jun
• Tsutsumi Eishi
• Kitagawa Ryota
• Huang Chingchun
• Sugano Yoshitsune

Classifications

• C25B9/00

  Cells or assemblies of cells; Constructional parts of cells; Assemblies of constructional parts, e.g. electrode-diaphragm assemblies; Process-related cell features · CPC title

• Y02P20/135

  Cross-Sectional Technologies · mapped topic

• C25B1/003 Primary

  Chemistry & Metallurgy · mapped topic

• C25B1/00 Primary

  Electrolytic production of inorganic compounds or non-metals · CPC title

• C25B9/08

  Chemistry & Metallurgy · mapped topic