U.S.-Hungary Joint Fund Research: Pollutant Photodegradation

美国-匈牙利联合基金研究项目“粘土-有机复合物-结合半导体介导的污染物光降解”将由阿蒂拉·约泽夫大学的Imre Dekany博士和雪城大学的Janos H. Fendler博士进行。半导体介导污染物的有效光降解。由匈牙利研究人员开发的表征良好的烷基铵和烷基吡啶表面活性剂改性粘土（粘土有机配合物）将用作半导体的宿主。合理选择实验条件可以调节表面活性剂分子之间的间距，并在其中制备出尺寸量子化的胶体半导体颗粒。在这个项目中，尺寸量子化的半导体颗粒将被原位生成并用于介导污染物的光降解。在粘土有机复合物颗粒的层间空间中会产生尺寸和维度可控的半导体颗粒。吸收光谱、电子显微镜、x射线衍射和电化学测量将被用来表征所构建系统的结构。光电子转移的基本信息将通过稳态和皮秒时间分辨光谱获得。获得的知识将反过来用于优化污染物的光破坏。该项目可以为有效的环境清理方法指明一条经济可行的途径。这项材料理论研究实现了美国-匈牙利联合基金推进科学的目标，使美国和匈牙利的顶尖专家能够在共同感兴趣和能力强的领域结合互补的人才和集中的研究资源。

This U.S.-Hungary Joint Fund research project on "Pollutant Photodegradation Mediated by Clay-Organocomplex-Incorporated Semiconductors" will be conducted by Dr. Imre Dekany of Attila Jozsef University and Dr. Janos H. Fendler of Syracuse University. Semiconductors mediate the efficient photodegradation of pollutants. Well-characterized alkylammonium and alkylpyridinium surfactant-modified clays (clay organocomplexes), developed by the Hungarian investigators, will be used as hosts for the semiconductors. Judicious selection of experimental conditions will allow the adjustment of interspace distances between the surfactant molecules and the preparation of size-quantized colloidal semiconductor particles therein. In this project, size-quantized semiconductor particles will be in situ generated and used to mediate the photodegradation of pollutants. Size- and dimensionality-controlled semiconductor particles will be generated in the interlamellar spaces of the clay organocomplex particles. Absorption spectroscopy, electron microscopy, X-ray diffraction, and electrochemical measurements will be used to characterize the structures of the systems constructed. Fundamental information on photoelectron transfer will be obtained by steady-state and picosecond time-resolved spectroscopy. The obtained knowledge will, in turn, be used to optimize pollutant photodestruction. The project could point the way to an economically tractable approach to useful methods of environmental cleanup. This research in materials theory fulfills the US-Hungary Joint Fund's objective of advancing science by enabling leading experts in the United States and Hungary to combine complementary talents and pool research resources in areas of strong mutual interest and competence.