Porous silicon-based direct hydrogen sulphide fuel cells

Area of Science:

• Materials Science
• Electrochemistry
• Energy Conversion

Background:

• Direct hydrogen sulfide fuel cells offer a sustainable energy alternative.
• Porous silicon is a promising material for electrochemical applications.
• Schottky-type structures can be utilized in fuel cell design.

Purpose of the Study:

• To demonstrate the efficacy of an Au/porous silicon/Silicon Schottky-type structure as a direct hydrogen sulfide fuel cell.
• To develop a proton conduction membrane using porous silicon filled with hydrochloric acid.
• To evaluate the performance of the fabricated fuel cell at room temperature.

Main Methods:

• Fabrication of Au/Porous Silicon/Silicon cells via anodic etching of single-crystalline silicon under illumination.
• Deposition of a gold (Au) catalyst layer onto the porous silicon.
• Utilization of porous silicon filled with hydrochloric acid as a proton conduction membrane.
• Testing the fuel cell with an 80 mM H2S solution.

Main Results:

• Achieved an open circuit voltage of 0.4 V.
• Obtained a maximum power density of 30 W/m² at room temperature.
• Demonstrated successful operation of the direct hydrogen sulfide fuel cell.

Conclusions:

• The Au/Porous Silicon/Silicon direct hydrogen sulfide fuel cell is a viable low-cost option for small power-supply units.
• The use of H2S:dH2O solution as fuel and room temperature operation are key advantages.
• Porous silicon serves effectively as a proton conduction membrane in this fuel cell design.