Photogalvanic cells—I. The potential of zero current

A general treatment is developed for calculating the change in potential at the point of zero current when a photogalvanic cell which contains two electrochemical redox couples (such as the iron-thionine system) is illuminated. The treatment does not depend upon the exact form of the transport to th...

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Bibliographic Details
Published in:Electrochimica acta 1976, Vol.21 (12), p.1155-1163
Main Authors: Albery, W.J., Archer, M.D.
Format: Article
Language:English
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Summary:A general treatment is developed for calculating the change in potential at the point of zero current when a photogalvanic cell which contains two electrochemical redox couples (such as the iron-thionine system) is illuminated. The treatment does not depend upon the exact form of the transport to the electrode or of the photochemical kinetics. The change in potential on illumination, from a thermodynamic dark potential to a mixed potential, may be positive, negative or zero, depending on the balance between the electrode kinetics of the two couples in the solution. The rate of transport to the electrode and of homogeneous back reaction in solution also affect the magnitude of the potential shift. The implications with respect to obtaining electric work from photogalvanic cells are discussed, with some illustrative examples from the literature.
ISSN:0013-4686
1873-3859
DOI:10.1016/0013-4686(76)85173-0