Artificial Leaf for Solar-Driven Ammonia Conversion at Milligram-Scale Using Triple Junction III-V Photoelectrode

Hao Huang; Dharmaraj Periyanagounder; Cailing Chen; Zhongxiao Li; Qiong Lei; Yu Han; Kuo-Wei Huang; Jr-Hau He

doi:10.1002/advs.202205808

Artificial Leaf for Solar-Driven Ammonia Conversion at Milligram-Scale Using Triple Junction III-V Photoelectrode

Hao Huang, Dharmaraj Periyanagounder, Cailing Chen, Zhongxiao Li, Qiong Lei, Yu Han, Kuo-Wei Huang, Jr-Hau He

Research output: Contribution to journal › Article › peer-review

4 Scopus citations

Abstract

Developing a green and energy-saving alternative to the traditional Haber-Bosch process for converting nitrogen into ammonia is urgently needed. Imitating from biological nitrogen fixation and photosynthesis processes, this work develops a monolithic artificial leaf based on triple junction (3J) InGaP/GaAs/Ge cell for solar-driven ammonia conversion under ambient conditions. A gold layer serves as the catalytic site for nitrogen fixation with photogenerated electrons. The Au/Ti/3J InGaP/GaAs/Ge photoelectrochemical (PEC) device achieves high ammonia production rates and Faradaic efficiencies in a two-electrode system without applying external potential. For example, at 0.2 sunlight intensity, the solar-to-ammonia (STA) conversion efficiency reaches 1.11% and the corresponding Faradaic efficiency is up to 28.9%. By integrating a Ni foil on the anode side for the oxygen evolution reaction (OER), the monolithic artificial leaf exhibits an ammonia production rate of 8.5 µg cm-2 h at 1.5 sunlight intensity. Additionally, a 3 × 3 cm unassisted wireless PEC device is fabricated that produces 1.0039 mg of ammonia in the 36-h durability test. Thus, the new artificial leaf can successfully and directly convert solar energy into chemical energy and generate useful products in an environmentally friendly approach.

Original language	English (US)
Pages (from-to)	2205808
Journal	Advanced Science
DOIs	https://doi.org/10.1002/advs.202205808
State	Published - Mar 22 2023

Bibliographical note

KAUST Repository Item: Exported on 2023-03-27
Acknowledged KAUST grant number(s): BAS/1/1334-01-01
Acknowledgements: This work was financially supported by the City University of Hong Kong (9380107 and 7005943) and the KAUST Baseline Fund BAS/1/1334-01-01.

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10.1002/advs.202205808

https://repository.kaust.edu.sa/bitstream/10754/690599/1/Advanced%20Science%20-%202023%20-%20Huang%20-%20Artificial%20Leaf%20for%20Solar%e2%80%90Driven%20Ammonia%20Conversion%20at%20Milligram%e2%80%90Scale%20Using%20Triple.pdf

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title = "Artificial Leaf for Solar-Driven Ammonia Conversion at Milligram-Scale Using Triple Junction III-V Photoelectrode",

abstract = "Developing a green and energy-saving alternative to the traditional Haber-Bosch process for converting nitrogen into ammonia is urgently needed. Imitating from biological nitrogen fixation and photosynthesis processes, this work develops a monolithic artificial leaf based on triple junction (3J) InGaP/GaAs/Ge cell for solar-driven ammonia conversion under ambient conditions. A gold layer serves as the catalytic site for nitrogen fixation with photogenerated electrons. The Au/Ti/3J InGaP/GaAs/Ge photoelectrochemical (PEC) device achieves high ammonia production rates and Faradaic efficiencies in a two-electrode system without applying external potential. For example, at 0.2 sunlight intensity, the solar-to-ammonia (STA) conversion efficiency reaches 1.11% and the corresponding Faradaic efficiency is up to 28.9%. By integrating a Ni foil on the anode side for the oxygen evolution reaction (OER), the monolithic artificial leaf exhibits an ammonia production rate of 8.5 µg cm-2 h at 1.5 sunlight intensity. Additionally, a 3 × 3 cm unassisted wireless PEC device is fabricated that produces 1.0039 mg of ammonia in the 36-h durability test. Thus, the new artificial leaf can successfully and directly convert solar energy into chemical energy and generate useful products in an environmentally friendly approach.",

author = "Hao Huang and Dharmaraj Periyanagounder and Cailing Chen and Zhongxiao Li and Qiong Lei and Yu Han and Kuo-Wei Huang and Jr-Hau He",

note = "KAUST Repository Item: Exported on 2023-03-27 Acknowledged KAUST grant number(s): BAS/1/1334-01-01 Acknowledgements: This work was financially supported by the City University of Hong Kong (9380107 and 7005943) and the KAUST Baseline Fund BAS/1/1334-01-01.",

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AU - Huang, Hao

AU - Periyanagounder, Dharmaraj

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AU - Li, Zhongxiao

AU - Lei, Qiong

AU - Han, Yu

AU - Huang, Kuo-Wei

AU - He, Jr-Hau

N1 - KAUST Repository Item: Exported on 2023-03-27 Acknowledged KAUST grant number(s): BAS/1/1334-01-01 Acknowledgements: This work was financially supported by the City University of Hong Kong (9380107 and 7005943) and the KAUST Baseline Fund BAS/1/1334-01-01.

PY - 2023/3/22

Y1 - 2023/3/22

N2 - Developing a green and energy-saving alternative to the traditional Haber-Bosch process for converting nitrogen into ammonia is urgently needed. Imitating from biological nitrogen fixation and photosynthesis processes, this work develops a monolithic artificial leaf based on triple junction (3J) InGaP/GaAs/Ge cell for solar-driven ammonia conversion under ambient conditions. A gold layer serves as the catalytic site for nitrogen fixation with photogenerated electrons. The Au/Ti/3J InGaP/GaAs/Ge photoelectrochemical (PEC) device achieves high ammonia production rates and Faradaic efficiencies in a two-electrode system without applying external potential. For example, at 0.2 sunlight intensity, the solar-to-ammonia (STA) conversion efficiency reaches 1.11% and the corresponding Faradaic efficiency is up to 28.9%. By integrating a Ni foil on the anode side for the oxygen evolution reaction (OER), the monolithic artificial leaf exhibits an ammonia production rate of 8.5 µg cm-2 h at 1.5 sunlight intensity. Additionally, a 3 × 3 cm unassisted wireless PEC device is fabricated that produces 1.0039 mg of ammonia in the 36-h durability test. Thus, the new artificial leaf can successfully and directly convert solar energy into chemical energy and generate useful products in an environmentally friendly approach.

AB - Developing a green and energy-saving alternative to the traditional Haber-Bosch process for converting nitrogen into ammonia is urgently needed. Imitating from biological nitrogen fixation and photosynthesis processes, this work develops a monolithic artificial leaf based on triple junction (3J) InGaP/GaAs/Ge cell for solar-driven ammonia conversion under ambient conditions. A gold layer serves as the catalytic site for nitrogen fixation with photogenerated electrons. The Au/Ti/3J InGaP/GaAs/Ge photoelectrochemical (PEC) device achieves high ammonia production rates and Faradaic efficiencies in a two-electrode system without applying external potential. For example, at 0.2 sunlight intensity, the solar-to-ammonia (STA) conversion efficiency reaches 1.11% and the corresponding Faradaic efficiency is up to 28.9%. By integrating a Ni foil on the anode side for the oxygen evolution reaction (OER), the monolithic artificial leaf exhibits an ammonia production rate of 8.5 µg cm-2 h at 1.5 sunlight intensity. Additionally, a 3 × 3 cm unassisted wireless PEC device is fabricated that produces 1.0039 mg of ammonia in the 36-h durability test. Thus, the new artificial leaf can successfully and directly convert solar energy into chemical energy and generate useful products in an environmentally friendly approach.

UR - http://hdl.handle.net/10754/690599

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JO - Advanced Science

JF - Advanced Science

ER -

Artificial Leaf for Solar-Driven Ammonia Conversion at Milligram-Scale Using Triple Junction III-V Photoelectrode

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