Photo-electrochemical cell, manufacturing method of photo-electrochemical cell, and photo-electrochemical reaction device

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-2016372271-A1
Application number	US-201615249900-A
Country	US
Kind code	A1
Filing date	Aug 29, 2016
Priority date	Mar 24, 2014
Publication date	Dec 22, 2016
Grant date	—

Abstract

A photo-electrochemical cell of an embodiment includes: a first electrode which has a transparent conductive film provided on a first surface of a photoelectric conversion layer; a first catalyst layer provided on the first electrode; a second electrode provided on a second surface of the photoelectric conversion layer; and a second catalyst layer provided on the second electrode. The first catalyst layer has a plurality of catalyst parts disposed on the first electrode and a transparent dielectric part disposed in a gap between the plurality of catalyst parts.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1 . A photo-electrochemical cell comprising:
a photoelectric conversion layer having a first surface and a second surface; a first electrode provided on the first surface of the photoelectric conversion layer; a first catalyst layer including a plurality of catalyst parts disposed on the first electrode and a transparent dielectric part disposed in a gap between the plurality of catalyst parts; a second electrode provided on the second surface of the photoelectric conversion layer; and a second catalyst layer electrically connected to the second electrode.

2 . The photo-electrochemical cell according to claim 1 ,
wherein the first catalyst layer further comprises a conductive part disposed on the first electrode, and the catalyst part is provided on the conductive part.

3 . The photo-electrochemical cell according to claim 2 ,
wherein the conductive part has a tapered shape, and the catalyst parts are provided along a surface of the tapered-shaped conductive part.

4 . The photo-electrochemical cell according to claim 2 ,
wherein the conductive part includes at least one selected from the group consisting of a metal, an alloy including the metal, and a conductive compound containing the metal, wherein the catalyst part is provided on the conductive part, and wherein the transparent dielectric part includes an insulating compound containing the metal.

5 . The photo-electrochemical cell according to claim 4 ,
wherein the conductive part is made of the metal or a nitride of the metal, and wherein the transparent dielectric part is made of an oxide of the metal.

6 . The photo-electrochemical cell according to claim 1 ,
wherein the transparent dielectric part has a thickness of 10 nm or more and 1 mm or less.

7 . The photo-electrochemical cell according to claim 1 ,
wherein the catalyst part includes at least one of a metal and a metal oxide.

8 . The photo-electrochemical cell according to claim 1 ,
wherein the first electrode comprises a conductive film having a light transmission property.

9 . The photo-electrochemical cell according to claim 1 ,
wherein the catalyst parts have a dotted or linear planar shape.

10 . The photo-electrochemical cell according to claim 1 ,
wherein the plurality of catalyst parts are disposed in a manner that the gap becomes 10 nm or more and 2 mm or less.

11 . The photo-electrochemical cell according to claim 1 ,
wherein an oxidation reaction is caused in one of the first and second catalyst layers and a reduction reaction is caused in the other of the first and second catalyst layers.

12 . The photo-electrochemical cell according to claim 1 ,
wherein a static contact angle to an electrolytic solution in which the photo-electrochemical cell is immersed, of the first catalyst layer is less than 90 degrees.

13 . A method for manufacturing a photo-electrochemical cell comprising:
preparing a stacked body which includes a photoelectric conversion layer having a first surface and a second surface, a first electrode provided on the first surface of the photoelectric layer, and a second electrode provided on the second surface of the photoelectric layer; forming a first catalyst layer which includes a plurality of catalyst parts and a transparent dielectric part by disposing the plurality of catalyst parts on the first electrode and disposing the transparent dielectric part in a gap between the plurality of catalyst parts; and providing a second catalyst layer electrically connected to the second electrode.

14 . The method according to claim 13 ,
wherein the forming of the first catalyst layer comprises:
forming a conductive film including at least one selected from the group consisting of a metal, an alloy containing the metal, and a conductive compound containing the metal;
disposing the plurality of catalyst parts on the conductive film, and
forming the transparent dielectric part by selectively oxidizing a portion exposed between the plurality of catalyst parts of the conductive film.

15 . A photo-electrochemical reaction device comprising:
an electrolytic bath in which an electrolytic solution is accommodated; and the photo-electrochemical cell according to claim 1 which is disposed in the electrolytic bath and immersed in the electrolytic solution.

16 . The photo-electrochemical reaction device according to claim 15 ,
wherein the electrolytic bath is divided into two chambers by the photo-electrochemical cell and has an ion migration path including an ion exchange membrane.

Assignees

• Toshiba Kk

Inventors

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

Classifications

• C25B11/0478

  Chemistry & Metallurgy · mapped topic

• C25B11/0473

  Chemistry & Metallurgy · mapped topic

• C25B1/06

  Chemistry & Metallurgy · mapped topic

• C25D9/04

  with inorganic materials · CPC title

• C25D5/54

  Electroplating of non-metallic surfaces (C25D7/12 takes precedence) · CPC title