| abstract |
This invention provides a photophysicochemical cell in which a photoanode electrode formed of a porous conductor, or an n-type visible region semiconductor which is high in carrier density, is inserted into a liquid phase medium of a fuel such as a redox liquid and an electrode formed of a conductive material capable of reducing oxygen is further inserted as a counter cathode electrode. When light is applied to the photoanode electrode in such a state that oxygen is also present in the liquid phase medium, the fuel is oxidatively photodecomposed on the anode electrode without applying any auxiliary external voltage while photocurrent is generated by a reduction of oxygen on the counter electrode. According to the photophysicochemical cell, a wide variety of compounds ranging from, of course, alcohols such as methanol, urea, ammonia, agarose, glucose, and amino acids to biomass such as cellulose can be decomposed as fuel to generate photocurrent. |