Publication date: 27th March 2025
The design and implementation of complete, operational photo-electrochemical devices requires a careful consideration of material requirements and their interplay in an integrated device. The operation of the devices usually is based on constant-intensity simulated solar irradiation. A variety of photo-electrochemical device designs exists and operated at constant intensity for extended time (ten to hundreds of hours). They have achieved competitive efficiencies, but improvement and innovation is still needed for practical implementation and economic competitiveness. Multi-physical, multi-dimensional and multi-scale modeling tools are essential for the investigation of feasibility, optimization and implementation of such devices. Such models can help to come up with novel design ideas and alternative operational scenarios. I will discuss unconventional reactor designs for photocatalytic solar fuel generation based on micro-droplets and show unconventional photo-electrochemical reactor operation, based on reversible operation, pulsed operation and grid-electricity-supported operation. I will show what these innovations bring to the table and how they can help making solar fuels a more competitive technology.