Photoelectrochemical properties of thin low cost polycrystalline CdS photoanodes

In the present paper photoelectrochemical processes and physical properties of the photovoltaic CdS|KClK₃ Fe(CN)₆K₄ Fe(CN)₆|Pt electrolytic cell have been studied. CdS polycrystalline photoanodes were prepared by pyrolytic spraying. The electrode resistance was measured and the film structure and composition were analyzed by SEM. Optical measurements were performed in order to determine the absorbance and the energy gap of the sprayed CdS films. Current-voltage characteristics as a function of the redox couple concentration and light intensity were measured under incandescent illumination and sunlight. Fill factors varied in the range from 0.2 to 0.4 and the efficiency of the yet non-optimized cells reached 0.4%. The problem of stability of the photoanode and its passivation were also discussed.