Energy Citations Database (ECD) - - Document #7257672
This is Francis K. Fong's first U.S. patent with Nick Winograd, US 4022950, F.K. Fong and N. Winograd, on the capture of sunlight to generate electricity (photogalvanic conversion) now listed on the Energy Citations Database (ECD). It describes a device to convert solar energy into electricity making use of the reversible photogalvanic principle. This principle is based on the spontaneous light and dark reactions between two electrochemical half cells constructed from a reversible electrochemical reaction. The device uses photosensitizers that operate in a broad band infrared spectral region. The specific photosensitizer used is chlorophyll a dihydrate polycrystals coated on a platinum electrode suspended in an ionic salt solution on one side of the cell. A platinum electrode is also suspended on the other side of the half cell in a hydroquinone solution, and the electrodes are electricallyconnected. These solutions are interconnected by a salt bridge which permits the flow of cation charge reversibly between said first and second half cells upon on-off light irradiation of the chlorophyll coated electrode. 14 claims, 2 figs. See, also, Fong, F.K. and Winograd, N. (1976) J. Am. Chem. Soc., 98, 2287.
Nick Winograd is Evan Pugh Distinguished Professor of Chemistry at Penn State.
No comments:
Post a Comment