US 12,286,711 B2
Use of intermediates in solar fuels generation
Christoph D. Karp, Pasadena, CA (US); Alec S. Ho, Pasadena, CA (US); Xinghao Zhou, Pasadena, CA (US); Chengxiang Xiang, San Marino, CA (US); and Nathan S Lewis, La Canada Flintridge, CA (US)
Assigned to California Institute of Technology, Pasadena, CA (US)
Filed by California Institute of Technology, Pasadena, CA (US)
Filed on Feb. 26, 2019, as Appl. No. 16/286,467.
Claims priority of provisional application 62/635,776, filed on Feb. 27, 2018.
Prior Publication US 2019/0264338 A1, Aug. 29, 2019
Int. Cl. C25B 1/04 (2021.01); C01B 3/06 (2006.01); C25B 1/55 (2021.01); C25B 9/05 (2021.01); C25B 9/19 (2021.01); C25B 9/73 (2021.01); C25B 15/08 (2006.01); H01M 8/0606 (2016.01)
CPC C25B 1/04 (2013.01) [C01B 3/06 (2013.01); C25B 1/55 (2021.01); C25B 9/05 (2021.01); C25B 9/19 (2021.01); C25B 9/73 (2021.01); C25B 15/08 (2013.01); H01M 8/0606 (2013.01)] 17 Claims
OG exemplary drawing
 
1. A solar fuels generation system consisting of a first reactor and a second reactor:
the first reactor comprising:
a catholyte solution comprising water, an acid and a charge carrier,
an anolyte solution,
a cathode comprising a material selected from the group consisting of carbon nanotubes, glassy carbon, carbon cloth, mercury and any combination thereof, and
an anode comprising a material selected from the group consisting of FeNiOx, RuOx, CoOx and any combination thereof;
wherein the cathode and anode are separated by a bipolar membrane,
wherein the catholyte and anolyte have different pHs,
wherein the anolyte is in contact with the anode and the catholyte is in contact with the cathode, and
wherein the charge carrier is reduced to a reduced charge carrier; and
the second reactor comprising a molybdenum carbide or Pt catalyst that contains a solution in which the reduced charge carrier from the catholyte solution reduces protons so as to generate hydrogen gas by a chemical reaction having a hydrogen evolution potential of 50 mV to 400 mV and wherein the second reactor is pressurized to 10(D/59mV) atmospheres, wherein D is the value of the charge carrier redox couple differential in mV.