Photo-electrochemical reaction device

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-2016369414-A1
Application number	US-201615255739-A
Country	US
Kind code	A1
Filing date	Sep 2, 2016
Priority date	May 20, 2014
Publication date	Dec 22, 2016
Grant date	—

Abstract

To convert light into a chemical substance with high conversion efficiency. A device, comprising: a photovoltaic layer having a first face and a second face; an oxidation electrode layer electrically connected to the first face of the photovoltaic layer; a reduction electrode layer electrically connected to the second face of the photovoltaic layer; a first electrolytic solution being supplied to the oxidation electrode layer; a second electrolytic solution being supplied to the reduction electrode layer; and a porous layer, provided to in contact with at least one of the first electrolytic solution and the second electrolytic solution, having fine pores through which a product produced by the oxidation reaction or the reduction reaction passes, and being given a temperature gradient wherein the product being purified by the porous layer.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1 . A photoelectrochemical reaction device, comprising:
a photovoltaic layer having a first face and a second face opposite each other and performing charge separation by energy of light irradiated to the first face or the second face; an oxidation electrode layer, electrically connected to the first face of the photovoltaic layer, causing an oxidation reaction of water; a reduction electrode layer, electrically connected to the second face of the photovoltaic layer, causing a reduction reaction of at least one of water and carbon dioxide; a first electrolytic solution containing the water and being supplied to the oxidation electrode layer; a second electrolytic solution containing at least one of the water and the carbon dioxide and being supplied to the reduction electrode layer; and a porous layer, being provided to contact with at least one of the first electrolytic solution and the second electrolytic solution, having fine pores through which a product produced by the oxidation reaction or the reduction reaction passes and being given a temperature gradient wherein the product being purified by the porous layer.

2 . The device of claim 1 ,
wherein the product contains hydrogen or oxygen, and wherein at least a part of the product is repeatedly vaporized and liquefied by moving from a high temperature side to a low temperature side of the porous layer through the fine pores, to remove moisture in the product and to thereby extract the hydrogen or the oxygen.

3 . The device of claim 1 ,
wherein the product contains a carbon compound, and wherein the porous layer repeatedly performs vaporization and liquefaction of at least a part of the product while moving the product from a high temperature side to a low temperature side through the fine pores to rectify the carbon compound.

4 . The device of claim 1 ,
wherein the porous layer is given the temperature gradient and thereby supplies the first electrolytic solution or the second electrolytic solution to the oxidation electrode layer or the reduction electrode layer via the fine pores while vaporizing the first electrolytic solution or the second electrolytic solution.

5 . The device of claim 1 ,
wherein the porous layer is in contact with the oxidation electrode layer and the reduction electrode layer.

6 . The device of claim 1 , further comprising:
a product flow path in contact with the porous layer.

7 . The device of claim 6 ,
wherein the product flow path is provided on the porous layer.

8 . The device of claim 1 ,
wherein the porous layer has a first region and a second region, and wherein the reduction electrode layer is provided to separate the first region and the second region.

9 . The device of claim 8 , further comprising:
a first product flow path in contact with the first region; and a second product flow path in contact with the second region.

10 . A photoelectrochemical reaction device, comprising:
a photovoltaic layer having a first face and a second face opposite each other and performing charge separation by energy of light irradiated to the first face or the second face; an oxidation electrode layer, electrically connected to the first face of the photovoltaic layer, causing an oxidation reaction of water; a reduction electrode layer, electrically connected to the second face of the photovoltaic layer, causing a reduction reaction of at least one of water and carbon dioxide; a first electrolytic solution containing the water; a second electrolytic solution containing at least one of the water and the carbon dioxide; and a porous layer, being provided to contact with at least one of the first electrolytic solution and the second electrolytic solution, having fine pores through which the first electrolytic solution or the second electrolytic solution passes, wherein the porous layer is given a temperature gradient and thereby supplies the first electrolytic solution or the second electrolytic solution to the oxidation electrode layer or the reduction electrode layer while vaporizing the first electrolytic solution or the second electrolytic solution.

11 . The device of claim 10 ,
wherein the porous layer is in contact with the oxidation electrode layer and the reduction electrode layer.

12 . The device of claim 10 , further comprising:
a product flow path in contact with the porous layer.

13 . The device of claim 12 ,
wherein the product flow path is provided on the porous layer.

14 . The device of claim 10 ,
wherein the porous layer has a first region and a second region, and wherein the reduction electrode layer is provided to separate the first region and the second region.

15 . The device of claim 14 , further comprising:
a first product flow path in contact with the first region; and a second product flow path in contact with the second region.

Assignees

• Toshiba Kk

Inventors

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

Classifications

• C25B1/10

  Chemistry & Metallurgy · mapped topic

• C25B1/003

  Chemistry & Metallurgy · mapped topic

• C25B15/02 Primary

  Process control or regulation · CPC title

• C25B3/04

  Chemistry & Metallurgy · mapped topic

• C25B9/08 Primary

  Chemistry & Metallurgy · mapped topic