Exploiting perovskites for the generation of solar fuels

Fossil fuels consumption results in greenhouse gases emission, which translates into global warming. Carbon emission from fossil fuels should be reduced by replacing conventional energy technologies with sustainable ones. Solar energy is the most abundant carbon-free energy source, it can be directly converted into electricity through a photovoltaic solar cell. Recently, organic metal halide perovskites have emerged as promising cost-effective materials for high-efficiency solar energy conversion. Additionally, development of energy storage systems is required to deal with the intermittent nature of solar energy. Hydrogen is a valuable fuel that can be generated directly from solar energy through photoelectrochemical (PEC) water splitting. In this configuration, photoelectrodes and water are in direct contact and oxo-reduction reactions occur at the anode and cathode respectively. Generic halide perovskite materials are highly susceptible to degradation by moisture and water. In this work, an integrated photoelectrolysis of water, employing organic metal halide perovskite based buried junction, are investigated. The decomposition of perovskite based buried junction is affected by grain size and electrolyte pH.