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Photoelectrochemical Solar Fuel Production pp 3–40Cite as

Semiconductor Electrochemistry

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Abstract

The properties of the semiconductor/electrolyte interface are reviewed with emphasis on basic physical principles and on electrode reactions taking place at the illuminated semiconductor electrolyte junction, since these are important in the context of photoelectrochemical solar cells and photoelectrolysis devices. The thermodynamic and kinetic factors that govern photoelectrochemical reactions are outlined, and the extension of basic theoretical concepts to nanostructured semiconductor electrodes is discussed in order to show how some ideas may need to be modified to take into account the size-dependent properties of systems with small-length scales.

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Acknowledgment

The author thanks Gabriela Kissling (Bath), David Tilley (Zurich), and Sixto Giménez (Castelló) for reading of the manuscript carefully and for useful suggestions.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Department of Chemistry, University of Bath, Bath, BA2 7AY, UK

    Laurence M. Peter

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  1. Laurence M. Peter
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Correspondence to Laurence M. Peter .

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Editors and Affiliations

  1. Institute of Advanced Materials (INAM), Univrsitat Jaume I, Castelló de la Plana, Spain

    Sixto Giménez

  2. Institute of Advanced Materials (INAM), Univrsitat Jaume I, Castello de la Plana, Spain

    Juan Bisquert

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Peter, L.M. (2016). Semiconductor Electrochemistry. In: Giménez, S., Bisquert, J. (eds) Photoelectrochemical Solar Fuel Production. Springer, Cham. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-319-29641-8_1

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-319-29641-8_1

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