Product intended to be used as a photocatalyst, method for the preparation of such product and utilization of such product

• Main Authors: BORGARELLO; ENRICO, NEUMANN-SPALLART; MICHAEL, GRAETZEL; MICHAEL, DUONGHONG; DUNG, KALYANASUNDARAM; KUPPUSWAMY
• Format: Patent
• Language: English
• Published: 24.01.1984
• Subjects: APPARATUS THEREFOR; BASIC ELECTRIC ELEMENTS; CAPACITORS; CAPACITORS, RECTIFIERS, DETECTORS, SWITCHING DEVICES ORLIGHT-SENSITIVE DEVICES, OF THE ELECTROLYTIC TYPE; CHEMICAL OR PHYSICAL PROCESSES, e.g. CATALYSIS OR COLLOIDCHEMISTRY; CHEMISTRY; COMPOUNDS THEREOF; ELECTRIC SOLID STATE DEVICES NOT OTHERWISE PROVIDED FOR; ELECTRICITY; ELECTROLYTIC OR ELECTROPHORETIC PROCESSES; ELECTROLYTIC OR ELECTROPHORETIC PROCESSES FOR THE PRODUCTIONOF COMPOUNDS OR NON-METALS; INORGANIC CHEMISTRY; METALLURGY; NON-METALLIC ELEMENTS; PERFORMING OPERATIONS; PHYSICAL OR CHEMICAL PROCESSES OR APPARATUS IN GENERAL; PROCESSES OR MEANS, e.g. BATTERIES, FOR THE DIRECT CONVERSIONOF CHEMICAL INTO ELECTRICAL ENERGY; SEMICONDUCTOR DEVICES; THEIR RELEVANT APPARATUS; TRANSPORTING

The product is in the form of discrete particles or in the form of a layer comprising an electrode. It consists of a semi-conductor material subject to photo-corrosion, for example, cadmium sulphide. In order to prevent such photo-corrosion, the surface of the semi-conductor material, which is intended to be illuminated, is covered with a transparent layer of RuO2, IrO2 or a mixture of RuO2 and IrO2. The product may be used for the conversion of solar energy into electric energy or into a fuel such as hydrogen.