Union Oil Company of California

Jay A Switzer

Eric L Moorehead

R Tom Coyle

Ceramic precursor compositions, such as metal hydroxides and oxides, are electrochemically deposited in a biased electrochemical cell. The cell typically generates hydroxide ions that precipitate metallic or semimetallic ions to form insoluble solids that may be separated from the cell, then dried, calcined and sintered to form a ceramic composition.

Electrochemical synthesis of ceramic films and powders

Electronic semiconductor devices are prepared having contacts forming rectifying and non-rectifying junctions between thallium (III) oxide and semincoductors. Such contacts may be formed at relatively low temperatures during preparation of bipolar, unipolar, and microwave semiconductor devices.

Electrical contacts containing thallium (III) oxide prepared at

Electronic semiconductor devices are prepared having contacts forming rectifying and non-rectifying junctions between thallium (III) oxide and semiconductors. Such contacts may be formed at relatively low temperatures during preparation of bipolar, unipolar and microwave semiconductor devices.

Electrical contacts containing thallium (III) oxide

A method for electrochemical converting reactants to products includes cycling alternating electrical current to an electrode containing a non-degenerate semiconductor material in an electrochemical cell. Suitably doped (n-type or p-type) semiconductors rectify the alternating current.

Electrochemical conversion using alternating current and semiconductor

A heterojunction photovoltaic device, containing a highly conductive coating material having a band gap greater than 0 to about 3.0 e.V. on a substrate containing a semiconductor material, is utilized in highly efficient photovoltaic cells and radiometric detection cells.

Photovoltaic device prepared by electroless deposition

A solid-state semiconductor photonic device is prepared by a photoelectrochemical deposition method. The device contains a highly conductive coating material including one or more metals and/or semiconductors on a substrate containing a semiconductor material. The device is utilized in photodetectors, including radiometric detection cells, in conversions of electrical energy to optical radiation, such as light-emitting-diodes and diodes lasers, and in photovoltaic cells, including Schottky-barrier cells.

Photoelectrochemical preparation of a solid-state semiconductor photonic

Preparation of photovoltaic device by electrochemical deposition

A photoelectrode, containing a highly conductive coating material having a band gap greater than 0 to about 3.0 e.V. on a substrate containing a semiconductor material, is utilized in photovoltaic cells, photoelectrosynthesis and photoelectrocatalysis.

Methods of making highly conductive photoelectrochemical electrodes

Highly conductive photoelectrochemical electrodes and uses thereof

An electrode useful in an electrolytic cell contains thallium (III) oxide. A method for enhancing the electrocatalytic activity and/or stability of an electrode includes compounding an outermost layer containing thallium (III) oxide with a conductive substrate. The electrode is particularly useful in reversible-type reactions such as the conversion of ferrocyanide to ferricyanide as well as in irreversible-type reactions, such as electrolysis of water to obtain hydrogen and oxygen or the electrolysis of chloride-containing solutions to obtain hydrogen and chlorine.

Electrode containing thallium (III) oxide

Heterojunction photovoltaic device

Thallium(III) is produced in solution using a photoelectrochemical cell which has an externally electrically interconnected semiconductor photoelectrode and counter electrode. A conductive solution containing thallium(I) is placed in the cell and a flow of current generated by exposing the photoelectrode to actinic radiation, thereby oxidizing the thallium. In another embodiment, a thallium(III) solution is produced by mixing a solution containing thallium(I) with a particulate semiconductor, introducing an oxygen-containing gas into the mixture, and exposing the mixture to actinic radiation. The produced thallium(III) can be reacted with organic compounds, for example with compounds containing at least one carbon-carbon double bond to form epoxides, concurrently reducing thallium. Continuous production can be obtained by recycling the reduced thallium by photoelectrochemical oxidation to thallium(III).

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Placentia, CA, United States of America

Jay A Switzer