Integrated Photoelectrochemical Solar Energy Conversion and Organic Redox Flow Battery Devices

Li, Wenjie; Fu, Hui-Chun; Li, Linsen; Cabán-Acevedo, Miguel; He, Jr-Hau; Jin, Song

Integrated Photoelectrochemical Solar Energy Conversion and Organic Redox Flow Battery Devices

Type

Article

Authors

Li, Wenjie
Fu, Hui-Chun

Li, Linsen
Cabán-Acevedo, Miguel
He, Jr-Hau

Jin, Song

KAUST Department

Computer, Electrical and Mathematical Sciences and Engineering (CEMSE) Division
Electrical Engineering Program
KAUST Solar Center (KSC)
Nano Energy Lab
Physical Science and Engineering (PSE) Division

Online Publication Date

2016-10-06

Print Publication Date

2016-10-10

Date

2016-10-06

Abstract

Building on regenerative photoelectrochemical solar cells and emerging electrochemical redox flow batteries (RFBs), more efficient, scalable, compact, and cost-effective hybrid energy conversion and storage devices could be realized. An integrated photoelectrochemical solar energy conversion and electrochemical storage device is developed by integrating regenerative silicon solar cells and 9,10-anthraquinone-2,7-disulfonic acid (AQDS)/1,2-benzoquinone-3,5-disulfonic acid (BQDS) RFBs. The device can be directly charged by solar light without external bias, and discharged like normal RFBs with an energy storage density of 1.15 Wh L−1 and a solar-to-output electricity efficiency (SOEE) of 1.7 % over many cycles. The concept exploits a previously undeveloped design connecting two major energy technologies and promises a general approach for storing solar energy electrochemically with high theoretical storage capacity and efficiency.

Citation

Li W, Fu H-C, Li L, Cabán-Acevedo M, He J-H, et al. (2016) Integrated Photoelectrochemical Solar Energy Conversion and Organic Redox Flow Battery Devices. Angewandte Chemie International Edition 55: 13104–13108. Available: http://dx.doi.org/10.1002/anie.201606986.

Acknowledgements

This research is supported by UW-Madison and also partially supported by the NSF Grant DMR-1508558. H.-C.F. and J.-H.H. are supported by the KAUST baseline fund for design and fabrication of Si solar cells.