CIGSS THIN FILMS FOR PHOTOELECTROCHEMICAL WATER SPLITTING USING MULTIPLE BANDGAP COMBINATION OF THIN FILM PHOTOVOLTAIC CELL AND PHOTOCATALYST: CLEAN AND RENEWABLE HYDROGEN SOURCE

摘要

This paper presents research carried out at Florida Solar Energy Center (FSEC) to develop cheaper and more efficient photoelectrochemical (PEC) cells for production of highly pure hydrogen and oxygen in the requisite proportion by water splitting using multiple bandgap combination of thin film photovoltaic (PV) cell and a photocatalyst. A transparent and conducting layer of ZnO:Al (or ITO)/MoSe2 (or MoS2) is being developed at the back of PV cell to transmit unabsorbed infrared photons onto the photoanode for efficient oxygen evolution. Preparation and characterization of thin ZnO:Al (or ITO)/MoSe2 (or MoS2) transparent conducting layer, CuIn1-xGaxSe2 (CIGS) and CuIn1-xGaxS2 (CIGS2) cells with a transparent conducting layer, and CuIn1-xGaxSe2-ySy (CIGSS) thin film PV cells for efficient hydrogen and oxygen generation by water splitting are presented.