Hybrid bio-photo-electro-chemical cells for solar water splitting

Roy I. Pinhassi, Dan Kallmann, Gadiel Saper, Hen Dotan, Artyom Linkov, Asaf Kay, Varda Liveanu, Gadi Schuster, Noam Adir and Avner Rothschild ()
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Roy I. Pinhassi: The Nancy & Stephen Grand Technion Energy Program (GTEP), Technion—Israel Institute of Technology, Technion City
Dan Kallmann: The Nancy & Stephen Grand Technion Energy Program (GTEP), Technion—Israel Institute of Technology, Technion City
Gadiel Saper: The Nancy & Stephen Grand Technion Energy Program (GTEP), Technion—Israel Institute of Technology, Technion City
Hen Dotan: Technion—Israel Institute of Technology, Technion City
Artyom Linkov: Schulich Faculty of Chemistry, Technion—Israel Institute of Technology, Technion City
Asaf Kay: Technion—Israel Institute of Technology, Technion City
Varda Liveanu: Faculty of Biology, Technion—Israel Institute of Technology, Technion City
Gadi Schuster: Faculty of Biology, Technion—Israel Institute of Technology, Technion City
Noam Adir: Schulich Faculty of Chemistry, Technion—Israel Institute of Technology, Technion City
Avner Rothschild: Technion—Israel Institute of Technology, Technion City

Nature Communications, 2016, vol. 7, issue 1, 1-10

Abstract: Abstract Photoelectrochemical water splitting uses solar power to decompose water to hydrogen and oxygen. Here we show how the photocatalytic activity of thylakoid membranes leads to overall water splitting in a bio-photo-electro-chemical (BPEC) cell via a simple process. Thylakoids extracted from spinach are introduced into a BPEC cell containing buffer solution with ferricyanide. Upon solar-simulated illumination, water oxidation takes place and electrons are shuttled by the ferri/ferrocyanide redox couple from the thylakoids to a transparent electrode serving as the anode, yielding a photocurrent density of 0.5 mA cm−2. Hydrogen evolution occurs at the cathode at a bias as low as 0.8 V. A tandem cell comprising the BPEC cell and a Si photovoltaic module achieves overall water splitting with solar to hydrogen efficiency of 0.3%. These results demonstrate the promise of combining natural photosynthetic membranes and man-made photovoltaic cells in order to convert solar power into hydrogen fuel.

Date: 2016
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DOI: 10.1038/ncomms12552

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