title: Integrating a dual-silicon photoelectrochemical cell into a redox flow battery for unassisted photocharging.
abstract: Solar rechargeable flow cells (SRFCs) provide an attractive approach for in situ capture and storage of intermittent solar energy via photoelectrochemical regeneration of discharged redox species for electricity generation. However, overall SFRC performance is restricted by inefficient photoelectrochemical reactions. Here we report an efficient SRFC based on a dual-silicon photoelectrochemical cell and a quinone/bromine redox flow battery for in situ solar energy conversion and storage. Using narrow bandgap silicon for efficient photon collection and fast redox couples for rapid interface charge injection, our device shows an optimal solar-to-chemical conversion efficiency of ∼5.9% and an overall photon-chemical-electricity energy conversion efficiency of ∼3.2%, which, to our knowledge, outperforms previously reported SRFCs. The proposed SRFC can be self-photocharged to 0.8 V and delivers a discharge capacity of 730 mAh l(-1). Our work may guide future designs for highly efficient solar rechargeable devices.
authors.affiliation: State Key Laboratory of Catalysis, Dalian Institute of Chemical Physics, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Dalian National Laboratory for Clean Energy, iChEM, Dalian 116023, China.|University of Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing 100049, China.
authors.forename: Shichao
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Liao
authors.affiliation: State Key Laboratory of Catalysis, Dalian Institute of Chemical Physics, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Dalian National Laboratory for Clean Energy, iChEM, Dalian 116023, China.
authors.forename: Xu
authors.initials: X
authors.lastname: Zong
authors.affiliation: Department of Physics, CINF, Technical University of Denmark, Kongens Lyngby 2800, Denmark.
authors.forename: Brian
authors.initials: B
authors.lastname: Seger
authors.affiliation: Department of Micro- and Nanotechnology, Technical University of Denmark, Kongens Lyngby 2800, Denmark.
authors.forename: Thomas
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Pedersen
authors.affiliation: State Key Laboratory of Catalysis, Dalian Institute of Chemical Physics, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Dalian National Laboratory for Clean Energy, iChEM, Dalian 116023, China.
authors.forename: Tingting
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Yao
authors.affiliation: State Key Laboratory of Catalysis, Dalian Institute of Chemical Physics, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Dalian National Laboratory for Clean Energy, iChEM, Dalian 116023, China.
authors.forename: Chunmei
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Ding
authors.affiliation: State Key Laboratory of Catalysis, Dalian Institute of Chemical Physics, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Dalian National Laboratory for Clean Energy, iChEM, Dalian 116023, China.
authors.forename: Jingying
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Shi
authors.affiliation: State Key Laboratory of Catalysis, Dalian Institute of Chemical Physics, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Dalian National Laboratory for Clean Energy, iChEM, Dalian 116023, China.
authors.forename: Jian
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Chen
authors.affiliation: State Key Laboratory of Catalysis, Dalian Institute of Chemical Physics, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Dalian National Laboratory for Clean Energy, iChEM, Dalian 116023, China.
authors.forename: Can
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Li