Wüstite-based photoelectrodes with lithium, hydrogen, sodium, magnesium, manganese, zinc and nickel additives

• US 9,735,306 B2
• Filed: 05/21/2013
• Issued: 08/15/2017
• Est. Priority Date: 05/21/2012
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: The Trustees of Princeton University (Princeton University), TECHNION RESEARCH AND DEVELOPMENT FOUNDATION, LTD. (Technion-Israel Institute Of Technology)
• Original Assignee: The Trustees of Princeton University (Princeton University), TECHNION RESEARCH AND DEVELOPMENT FOUNDATION, LTD. (Technion-Israel Institute Of Technology)
• Inventors: Carter, Emily Ann, Toroker, Maytal Caspary
• Primary Examiner(s): BARTON, JEFFREY THOMAS
• Assistant Examiner(s): Bakhtiari, Niki
• Application Number:
  US13/899,049
• Publication Number:
  US 20140130853A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,547 Days
• Field of Search: 136243-265
• CPC Class Codes: H01L 31/0264 Inorganic materials
• CPC Class Codes: H01L 31/032 including, apart from doping materials or other impurities, only compounds not provided for in groups H01L31/0272 - H01L31/0312
• CPC Class Codes: H01L 31/07 the potential barriers being only of the Schottky type
• CPC Class Codes: H01L 31/072 the potential barriers being only of the PN heterojunction type
• CPC Class Codes: H01L 31/18 Processes or apparatus specially adapted for the manufacture or treatment of these devices or of parts thereof
• CPC Class Codes: Y02E 10/50 Photovoltaic [PV] energy

Abstract

A photoelectrode, photovoltaic device and photoelectrochemical cell and methods of making are disclosed. The photoelectrode includes an electrode at least partially formed of FeO combined with at least one of lithium, hydrogen, sodium, magnesium, manganese, zinc, and nickel. The electrode may be doped with at least one of lithium, hydrogen, and sodium. The electrode may be alloyed with at least one of magnesium, manganese, zinc, and nickel.

Claims

1. A photoelectrode comprising an electrode at least partially formed of an oxide comprising a cubic rocksalt crystal structure of FeO combined with at least one of lithium, hydrogen, sodium, magnesium, manganese, zinc, or nickel, wherein the band gap of the oxide is between and including 1.3 eV and 2.5 eV.

2. The photoelectrode of claim 1, wherein the electrode is combined with at least one of hydrogen, lithium, or sodium.

3. The photoelectrode of claim 1, wherein the electrode is alloyed with at least one of magnesium, and manganese, zinc, or nickel.

4. The photoelectrode of claim 2, wherein the electrode is combined with hydrogen, lithium, and sodium.

5. The photoelectrode of claim 3, wherein the electrode is alloyed with magnesium (II) oxide, manganese (II) oxide, zinc (II) oxide, or nickel (II) oxide.

6. The photoelectrode of claim 2, wherein lithium is configured such that the lithium will not trap holes.

7. The photoelectrode of claim 2, wherein the hydrogen is configured such that the hydrogen will not trap holes.

8. The photoelectrode of claim 2, wherein the sodium is configured such that the sodium will not trap holes.