Photoelectrochemical energy conversion system modeled on the photosynthetic process

✍ Scribed by Masuo Aizawa; Morio Hirano; Shuichi Suzuki

• Publisher: Elsevier Science
• Year: 1978
• Tongue: English
• Weight: 538 KB
• Volume: 23
• Category: Article
• ISSN: 0013-4686
• DOI: 10.1016/0013-4686(78)85070-1

✦ Synopsis

&s&net -Photo-excitable electrodes were prepared by incorporating magnesium chlorophyll (MgChl) or manganese chlorophyll (MnChl) into the thin layer of such liquid crystals ax N-(p-mcthoxybenxyliden+p butykmiline (MBBA) and 4'.hcptyl4cyanobiphcnyl (HCB), being attached to the platinum surthee. The MgChl-MBBA electrode gave the positive photo4nduced potential shik in an acidic solution. In sharp contrast, the negative photo-induced potential shift was developed by the MnChl-HCB ebctrode in an alkaline solution. The involvement of a liquid crystal prominently enhanced the photo-response of the immobilized chlorophylls. The photoelectrochemical energy conversion system modeled on the photosynthetic process was assembled by employing the MgChl-MBBA and the MnChl-HCB electrodes as a eatbode and an anode, respectively. The photocurrent derived from the system was concluded to result from the decomposition of water, since an evidence for the molecular oxygen evolution at the M&h-HCB ekctrode was obtained. Furthermore, the incorporation of fi-carotene was found to markedly enhance the stability of the MnChl-HCB electrode.