Primary Corrosion Processes for Polymer-Embedded Free-Standing or Substrate-Supported Silicon Microwire Arrays in Aqueous Alkaline Electrolytes

Solar fuel devices have shown promise as a sustainable source of chemical fuels. However, long-term stability of light absorbing materials remains a substantial barrier to practical devices. Herein, multiple corrosion pathways in 1 M KOH(aq) have been defined for TiO₂-protected Si microwire arrays in a polymer membrane either attached to a substrate or free-standing. Top-down corrosion was observed in both morphologies through defects in the TiO₂ coating. For the substrate-based samples, bottom-up corrosion was observed through the substrate and up the adjacent wires. In the free-standing samples, uniform bottom-up corrosion was observed through the membrane with all wire material corroded within 10 days of immersion in the dark in 1 M KOH(aq)

High-Aspect Ratio Structures in Light-Absorbers and Electrocatalysts for Solar Fuels Devices

Solar fuels devices produce hydrogen fuel from water and sunlight and address a critical societal need for inexpensive, long-duration energy storage. Such devices are prepared from combinations of light-absorbing semiconductors and catalysts to sunlight to drive thermodynamically uphill reactions. This dissertation puts forth strategies for controlling the three-dimensional structure of semiconductors, electrocatalysts, and the film of gas bubbles evolved on the top and bottom of a solar fuels device. High-aspect ratio features led to unexpected effects in semiconductor/electrocatalyst assemblies. Optical losses were decoupled from the mass-loading of cobalt phosphide and copper electrocatalysts integrated onto silicon microwire photocathodes for the photoelectrochemical generation of hydrogen and hydrocarbons, respectively. Anti-reflective silicon microcone arrays were patterned with continuous films of Pt or CoP particles with minimal reflection losses due to the catalyst films. Transparent metal films were prepared from nanostructured metal phosphides, a class of earth-abundant hydrogen evolution catalysts. Silicon microwire array (photo)electrode surfaces were used to force bubbles away from electrocatalyst surfaces, even when oriented against gravity, leading to sustained operation in the absence of external convection.</p