Solar energy conversion and storage : photochemical modes

284 Pages·2016·9.337 MB·English

by  Ameta, Rakshit, Ameta, Suresh C

SOLAR ENERGY
CONVERSION
STORAGE
and
Photochemical Modes
ELECTROCHEMICAL ENERGY STORAGE AND CONVERSION
Series Editor: Jiujun Zhang
National Research Council Institute for Fuel Cell Innovation
Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada
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ELECTROCHEMICAL ENERGY STORAGE AND CONVERSION
SOLAR ENERGY
CONVERSION
STORAGE
and
Photochemical Modes
Edited by
Suresh C. Ameta
Rakshit Ameta
CRC Press
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© 2016 by Taylor & Francis Group, LLC
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Version Date: 20150916
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Contents
Preface..............................................................................................................................................vii
Editors ...............................................................................................................................................ix
Contributors ......................................................................................................................................xi
Chapter 1 Introduction ..................................................................................................................1
Suresh C. Ameta
Chapter 2 Photochemical Solar Energy Conversion .....................................................................7
Rakshit Ameta, Chetna Ameta, and Poonam Kumawat
Chapter 3 Basic Photoelectrochemistry ......................................................................................17
Purnima Dashora, Meenakshi Joshi, and Suresh C. Ameta
Chapter 4 Photoelectrochemical Cells ........................................................................................29
Dipti Soni, Priya Parsoya, Basant K. Menariya, Ritu Vyas, and Rakshit Ameta
Chapter 5 Organic Photovoltaic Cells .........................................................................................55
Meenakshi Singh Solanki, Taruna Dangi, Paras Tak, Sanyogita Sharma, and
Rakshit Ameta
Chapter 6 Dye-Sensitized Solar Cells .........................................................................................85
Rakshit Ameta, Surbhi Benjamin, Shweta Sharma, and Monika Trivedi
Chapter 7 Photogalvanic Cells ..................................................................................................115
Yasmin, Abhilasha Jain, Pinki B. Punjabi, and Suresh C. Ameta
Chapter 8 Hydrogen: An Alternative Fuel ................................................................................139
Neelu Chouhan, Rajesh Kumar Meena, and Ru-Shi Liu
Chapter 9 Photocatalytic Reduction of Carbon Dioxide ...........................................................173

Guoqing Guan, Xiaogang Hao, and Abuliti Abudula
Chapter 10 Artificial Photosynthesis ..........................................................................................187
Neelam Kunwar, Sanyogita Sharma, Surbhi Benjamin, and Dmitry Polyansky
Chapter 11 Nanomaterials for Solar Energy ...............................................................................219
Mohammad Azad Malik, Sajid Nawaz Malik, and Asma Alenad
Chapter 12 Other Solar Cells ......................................................................................................253
Rakshit Ameta
Index ..............................................................................................................................................265
v

Preface
Energy is a fundamental requirement for society. It is essential for industrialization, transportation,
urbanization, food materials, and so on. The main conventional energy sources are wood,
coal, petrol, diesel, kerosene, and so forth. These sources are being depleted at an ever-increasing
pace, resulting in an era of energy crisis. Natural resources are limited, and it has been estimated
that they will be completely exhausted in the coming few decades. Therefore, there is an urgent
need to find some alternate energy sources to fulfill the energy demands of the world. In this con-
text, researchers are stressing the use of solar energy, because it is abundant, inexhaustible, eco-
friendly, and relatively low cost. Solar energy can be used to generate electricity or can be stored as
chemical energy in the form of hydrogen or reduced products of carbon dioxide.
Various methods for converting light energy into electrical energy involve the use of photoelec-
trochemical cells, dye-sensitized solar cells, organic photovoltaic cells, photogalvanic cells, and
so on. Every method has its own merits or demerits, which can be overcome by continuous and
dedicated efforts. Some newer solar cells have been developed by combining or modifying these
existing cells. Some examples are plasmonic solar cells, hybrid solar cells, biohybrid solar cells,
perovskite solar cells, tandem solar cells, inverted tandem solar cells, and so on. Some of these cells
have shown promise as future sources of energy.
Hydrogen can be obtained by photosplitting water, which is abundantly available on Earth.
Hydrogen has also been advocated as the fuel of the future, because it is nontoxic and has a higher
storage capacity. It generates electricity on burning in a fuel cell. The reduction of carbon dioxide
to some useful synthetic fuels is another possible system for storing solar energy. Nature does this
job by reducing carbon dioxide from the atmosphere in the form of biomass (carbohydrates) and
regenerating oxygen. This conversion is the well-known process of photosynthesis. Efforts are being
made to mimic this reaction in laboratory conditions (i.e., artificial photosynthesis). Although natu-
ral photosynthesis seems to be a simple chemical process, it is mechanistically complex. This is a
challenge for chemists and biologists, in general, and photochemists in particular.
The development of nanotechnology has added many new frontiers with varied applications.
Nanomaterials have smaller size, higher surface-to-volume ratio, and so on, and as a result, they
may have some astonishing properties. In the last decade, nanoparticles have been extensively used
in different forms (nanorods, nanowire, nanoribbon, etc.), and the time is not far off when these
materials will prove their importance in solar cells, enhancing their efficiency as well as reducing
water, carbon dioxide, and other materials.
In this book, the focus is on photochemical methods of converting and/or storing light energy
in the form of electrical or chemical energy. Although efforts have been made to incorporate major
work done in this field, due to certain limitations, some important work may have been left out.
Readers are welcome to suggest any further improvement in this effort.
Suresh C. Ameta
Rakshit Ameta
vii

Editors
Suresh C. Ameta obtained his master’s degree from the University of Udaipur, India, and was
awarded a Gold Medal in 1970. He secured a first position in master of philosophy in 1978 in
Vikram University, Ujjain (Madhya Pradesh, India). He also obtained a PhD from this univer-
sity in 1980. He served as professor and head of the Department of Chemistry, North Gujarat
University Patan, India (1994) and M. L. Sukhadia University, Udaipur (2002–2005), and served
as head of the Department of Polymer Science (2005–2008). He also served as dean of postgradu-
ate studies, M. L. Sukhadia University, Udaipur (2004–2008). Now, he is serving as dean of the
Faculty of Science, PAHER University, Udaipur. Professor Ameta has occupied the coveted posi-
tion of president, Indian Chemical Society, Kolkata, and is now a lifelong vice president (since
2002). He has been the recipient of a number of prizes during his career, including a national prize
(twice) for writing chemistry books in Hindi, the Professor M. N. Desai Award, the Professor W.
U. Malik Award, the National Teacher Award, the Professor G. V. Bakore Award, and a Lifetime
Achievement Award from the Indian Chemical Society. He has successfully guided 71 doctoral
students. Professor Ameta has more than 300 research publications to his credit in national and
international journals and has served as a reviewer. He has contributed to and authored about 40
undergraduate and postgraduate books (published by Nova Publishers, New York; Taylor & Francis
Group, Oxford, United Kingdom; and Trans-Tech Publications, Pfaffikon, Switzerland), including
books on green chemistry and microwave-assisted organic synthesis (published by Apple Academic
Press, Waretown, New Jersey). In addition, he has delivered lectures and chaired sessions at vari-
ous conferences. He completed five major research projects from different funding agencies, such
as the Department of Science and Technology, the University Grants Commission, the Council of
Scientific and Industrial Research, and the Ministry of Energy, Government of India. Professor
Ameta has approximately 43 years of experience in teaching and research.
Rakshit Ameta obtained first position, master of science degree and was awarded a Gold Medal in
2002. He received the Fateh Singh Award from the Maharana Mewar Foundation, Udaipur, India,
for his meritorious performance. He obtained a PhD in 2005 from M. L. Sukhadia University,
Udaipur, India. He has worked at that university as well as at the University of Kota, Kota, India,
and presently is an associate professor of chemistry at PAHER University, Udaipur. He has suc-
cessfully supervised five doctoral students, and seven more are now researching various aspects of
green chemistry. He has authored 70 research publications in national and international journals.
Dr. Ameta has organized many national conferences, delivered a number of invited lectures, and
chaired sessions at national conferences. He has been elected as scientist in charge, Industrial and
Applied Chemistry Section, Indian Chemical Society, Kolkata (2014–2016), and was also elected
as a council member of the Indian Chemical Society, Kolkata (2011–2013), and the Indian Council
of Chemists, Agra (2012–2014). He has authored five degree-level books and contributed chap-
ters in books (published by Nova Publishers, New York; Taylor & Francis Group, Oxford, United
Kingdom; and Trans-Tech Publications, Pfaffikon, Switzerland). Two books have been published
on the topics of green chemistry and microwave-assisted organic synthesis (Apple Academic Press,
Waretown, New Jersey).
ix