Electrochemical photocatalytic structure
First Claim
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1. An electrochemical photocatalytic structure for photosensitizing chemical reduction-oxidation reactions including:
- a substrate means for providing physical support for said structure;
a film of catalyst material deposited on said substrate means;
a porous layer of semiconductor powder adjacent said catalyst material, and adapted for photoactivity wherein said semiconductor powder layer has a porosity of about 50% to about 75% and has a grain size less than about 1 micrometer to 0.02 micrometer, at least some of said semiconductor powder grains are in contact with said film of catalyst material, and at least a portion of said film of catalyst material is uncovered by said semiconductor powder grains so as to be exposed for electrochemical reaction; and
said semiconductor powder including spaced grains of semiconductor material to provide a pore volume so as to pass a chemical reactant which is subjected to a photochemical reduction-oxidation reaction when said structure is illuminated with light having a wavelength with an energy above the electron bandgap energy of said semiconductor material so that both electron and hole carriers are created in said layer of semiconductor powder.
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Abstract
A planar photoelectrochemical structure includes a thin, porous layer of semiconductor powder material on a catalytic film. Using incident light absorbed by the semiconductor, the structure is suited to photosensitizing redox reactions of substrates introduced to the structure in an aqueous gas-phase environment. Conducting catalyst films allow significant external electrical interaction with the photoelectrochemical process occurring in the layer.
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7 Claims
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1. An electrochemical photocatalytic structure for photosensitizing chemical reduction-oxidation reactions including:
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a substrate means for providing physical support for said structure; a film of catalyst material deposited on said substrate means; a porous layer of semiconductor powder adjacent said catalyst material, and adapted for photoactivity wherein said semiconductor powder layer has a porosity of about 50% to about 75% and has a grain size less than about 1 micrometer to 0.02 micrometer, at least some of said semiconductor powder grains are in contact with said film of catalyst material, and at least a portion of said film of catalyst material is uncovered by said semiconductor powder grains so as to be exposed for electrochemical reaction; and said semiconductor powder including spaced grains of semiconductor material to provide a pore volume so as to pass a chemical reactant which is subjected to a photochemical reduction-oxidation reaction when said structure is illuminated with light having a wavelength with an energy above the electron bandgap energy of said semiconductor material so that both electron and hole carriers are created in said layer of semiconductor powder. - View Dependent Claims (2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7)
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Specification