Fujifilm Corporation

Japan Technological Research Association of Artificial Photosynthetic Chemical Process

Japan Technological Research Association of Artificial Photosynthesis Chemical Process

Hiroyuki Kobayashi

Jiro Tsukahara

Yoshihiro Aburaya

Hiroshi Nagate

Satoshi Yoshida

Provided are a photocatalyst electrode, an artificial photosynthesis module, and an artificial photosynthesis device that have low electrical resistance, even in a case where the area is increased, in a case where a transparent conductive layer is used. The photocatalyst electrode is a photocatalyst electrode that has a substrate, a transparent conductive layer, a photocatalyst layer, and a linear metal electrical conductor, and splits water with light to produce a gas. The substrate, the transparent conductive layer, and the photocatalyst layer are laminated in this order, and the linear metal electrical conductor is in contact with the transparent conductive layer. The artificial photosynthesis module has the oxygen evolution electrode that splits the water with the light to produce oxygen, and a hydrogen evolution electrode that splits the water with the light to produce hydrogen. The oxygen evolution electrode and the hydrogen evolution electrode are disposed in series in a traveling direction of the light. At least one of the oxygen evolution electrode or the hydrogen evolution electrode has the configuration of the above-described photocatalyst electrode. The artificial photosynthesis device has the artificial photosynthesis module, and circulates and utilizes water.

Artificial photosynthesis module

An artificial photosynthesis module includes an oxygen generation electrode having a first photocatalyst layer that decomposes water with light to generate oxygen, and has a first substrate, a first conductive layer, a first photocatalyst layer, and a first co-catalyst, and a hydrogen generation electrode that decomposes water with light to generate hydrogen and has a second substrate, a second conductive layer, a second photocatalyst layer, and a second co-catalyst. This provides an artificial photosynthesis module with high reaction efficiency.

A photocatalyst electrode decomposes water with light to generate gas. The photocatalyst electrode has a laminate including a substrate, a conductive layer provided on a surface of the substrate, and a photocatalyst layer provided on a surface of the conductive layer, and a first co-catalyst electrically connected to the photocatalyst layer. The light is incident from the surface side of the photocatalyst layer of the laminate, and in a case where a region where the light is incident on the surface of the photocatalyst layer and above the surface is defined as a first region and the region other than the first region is defined as a second region, the first co-catalyst is provided at least in the second region. The first co-catalyst and the photocatalyst layer are electrically connected to each other by at least one of a transparent conductive layer provided on the surface of the photocatalyst layer or a wiring line.

Growing community of inventors

Kashiwa, Japan

Hiroyuki Kobayashi