Photoelectrochemical reactor for production of solar hydrogen fuel

This construction was designed to carry out solar photoelectrochemical water splitting experiments on photoelectrodes with an area of 10 cm x 10 cm. The construction is made from stainless steel and can contain 4 glass panels, two of which with 10 cm x 10 cm area, typically transparent conductong oxide coated such as FTO, on which an absorber layer such as alpha-Fe2O3 hematite is coated. The counter electrode compartment is also coverded with glass panels of smaller area, transparent, in order to observe bubbles of hydrogen evolving at the counter electrode, typically platinum wire or mesh. The construction contains feedthroughs for electric contacting to impose an external DC bias, and contains feedthroughs for tubing to allow for collecting the evolved oxygen and hydrogen gas. No separator or proton conducting membrane is required, because the gases evolve at two different terminals. Only a physical barrier will prevent mixing of the gas.