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The US Department of Energy's Working Group on Photoelectrochemical Hydrogen Production: Promoting Technology-Enabling Breakthroughs in Semiconductor Materials Research

Published online by Cambridge University Press:  31 January 2011

Roxanne Garland  and
Eric L. Miller
Roxanne Garland
Affiliation:
[email protected], US Department of Energy, EE-2H, 1000 Independence AVE, SW, Washington, District of Columbia, 20585, United States, 202 586 7260
Eric L. Miller
Affiliation:
[email protected], University of Hawaii at Manoa, Hawaii Natural Energy Institute, Honolulu, Hawaii, United States
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Abstract

Photoelectrochemical (PEC) hydrogen production, using sunlight to split water, is an important enabling technology for a future “Green” economy which will rely, in part, on hydrogen as an energy currency. The traditional semiconductor-based PEC material systems studied to date, however, have been unable to meet all the performance, durability and cost requirements for practical hydrogen production. Technology-enabling breakthroughs are needed in the development of new, advanced materials systems, and toward this end, the U.S. Department of Energy’s Working Group on PEC Hydrogen Production is bringing together experts in analysis, theory, synthesis and characterization from the academic, industry and national-laboratory research sectors. Key Working Group activities, as described in this paper, include performing techno-economic analyses of large-scale PEC production systems and establishing standardized testing and screening protocols for candidate PEC materials systems. In addition, a number of Working Group “Task Forces” are focused on advancing critical PEC materials theory, synthesis and characterization capabilities for application in the research and development of broad-ranging materials systems of promise, including complex metal-oxide and -nitride compounds, amorphous silicon alloys, III-V semiconductors and the copper chalcopyrites. The current status of Working Group activities and progress is summarized.

Keywords

Henergy generationphotochemical
Type
Research Article
Information
MRS Online Proceedings Library (OPL) , Volume 1171: Symposium S – Materials in Photocatalysis and Photoelectrochemistry for Environmental Applications and H2 Generation , 2009 , 1171-S09-03
Copyright
Copyright © Materials Research Society 2009

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