Photogalvanic effect for water splitting by pulsed electrolysis enhanced by magnetic fields

We suggest to use photoinduced photogalvanic electrical discharges produced by the ferroelectric Fe: LiNbO3 crystals for effective water splitting for production of oxygen and hydrogen by pulsed electrolysis. Electrical self-pulsations may be initiated by CW illumination with incoherent light, including Sun-light. Electrical pulses ( in microsecond range and with kV amplitude) are generated by the bulk photovoltaic (also called photogalvanic) effect. For separation of oxygen and hydrogen gases we apply magnetic field in Hall-effect configuration, with crossed electric and magnetic fields . Adding H-field to the traditional electrolysis scheme in the Hall effect geometry may give new opportunity for control of oxygen and hydrogen production. In this geometry water will be rotated that helps separation of oxygen and hydrogen. Rotation of water explained by the action of Lorentz force in geometry with cylindrical electrodes (cylindrical electrolyzer) that move oxygen and hydrogen bubbles with different signs of charges in the same directions. Hydrodynamic modeling suggest that converse effect: generation of electrical current, when water is rotating in the magnetic field, is possible to realize.