title: An artificial photosynthesis anode electrode composed of a nanoparticulate photocatalyst film in a visible light responsive GaN-ZnO solid solution system.
abstract: The artificial photosynthesis technology known as the Honda-Fujishima effect, which produces oxygen and hydrogen or organic energy from sunlight, water, and carbon dioxide, is an effective energy and environmental technology. The key component for the higher efficiency of this reaction system is the anode electrode, generally composed of a photocatalyst formed on a glass substrate from electrically conductive fluorine-doped tin oxide (FTO). To obtain a highly efficient electrode, a dense film composed of a nanoparticulate visible light responsive photocatalyst that usually has a complicated multi-element composition needs to be deposited and adhered onto the FTO. In this study, we discovered a method for controlling the electronic structure of a film by controlling the aerosol-type nanoparticle deposition (NPD) condition and thereby forming films of materials with a band gap smaller than that of the prepared raw material powder, and we succeeded in extracting a higher current from the anode electrode. As a result, we confirmed that a current approximately 100 times larger than those produced by conventional processes could be obtained using the same material. This effect can be expected not only from the materials discussed (GaN-ZnO) in this paper but also from any photocatalyst, particularly materials of solid solution compositions.
authors.affiliation: Fujitsu Laboratories, Ltd., 10-1 Morinosato-Wakamiya, Atsugi, Kanagawa, 2430197, Japan.
authors.forename: Yoshihiko
authors.initials: Y
authors.lastname: Imanaka
authors.affiliation: Fujitsu Laboratories, Ltd., 10-1 Morinosato-Wakamiya, Atsugi, Kanagawa, 2430197, Japan.
authors.forename: Toshihisa
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Anazawa
authors.affiliation: Fujitsu Laboratories, Ltd., 10-1 Morinosato-Wakamiya, Atsugi, Kanagawa, 2430197, Japan.
authors.forename: Toshio
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Manabe
authors.affiliation: Fujitsu Laboratories, Ltd., 10-1 Morinosato-Wakamiya, Atsugi, Kanagawa, 2430197, Japan.
authors.forename: Hideyuki
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Amada
authors.affiliation: Fujitsu Laboratories, Ltd., 10-1 Morinosato-Wakamiya, Atsugi, Kanagawa, 2430197, Japan.
authors.forename: Sachio
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Ido
authors.affiliation: Fujitsu Laboratories, Ltd., 10-1 Morinosato-Wakamiya, Atsugi, Kanagawa, 2430197, Japan.
authors.forename: Fumiaki
authors.initials: F
authors.lastname: Kumasaka
authors.affiliation: Fujitsu Laboratories, Ltd., 10-1 Morinosato-Wakamiya, Atsugi, Kanagawa, 2430197, Japan.
authors.forename: Naoki
authors.initials: N
authors.lastname: Awaji
authors.affiliation: Institute of Engineering Innovation, The University of Tokyo, Yayoi 2-11-16, Tokyo, 113-8656, Japan.
authors.forename: Gabriel
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Sánchez-Santolino
authors.affiliation: Institute of Engineering Innovation, The University of Tokyo, Yayoi 2-11-16, Tokyo, 113-8656, Japan.
authors.forename: Ryo
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Ishikawa
authors.affiliation: Institute of Engineering Innovation, The University of Tokyo, Yayoi 2-11-16, Tokyo, 113-8656, Japan.
authors.forename: Yuichi
authors.initials: Y
authors.lastname: Ikuhara