Materials World Network: Collaborative Research: Transition Metal Oxide Nanoarchitectures for Photoelectrochemical Hydrogen Generation

太阳能转化为太阳能燃料提供了世界的长期储存和运输？美国最丰富但间歇性的能源。在从化石燃料向氢作为能源载体的转变过程中，材料科学将发挥前所未有的作用。随着可再生氢能源技术的发展，氢的生产和储存面临着重大的材料挑战。这项由马里兰大学和印度阿格拉的达亚巴格教育研究所共同开展的研究，旨在对廉价、丰富和稳定的过渡金属氧化物半导体材料赤铁矿、二氧化钛和氧化铜的设计、合成和评估进行系统研究，并最终应用于光电化生产氢气。该团队汇集了纳米材料合成和表征（美国/印度）以及光电化学（印度）方面的专业知识。目标是通过仔细整合合成、表征和模拟来提高这类光活性材料的最新技术，并利用这一基础在材料设计方面取得实质性的基本进展。通过科学交流和人员交流，该团队为材料研究开发了重要的智力基础设施，并优化了这项国际合作中每个合作机构的仪器和设施的使用。在实验室之外，认识到如果没有训练有素的科学和工程人员，材料科学的进步将无法转化为提高生活质量，多学科和跨国团队以及制氢材料的及时主题将吸引并留住更多科学，技术，工程和数学（STEM）管道的学生。该奖项由美国国家科学基金会国际科学与工程办公室共同资助。

The conversion of solar energy into solar fuels provides long-term storage and transport of the world?s most abundant but intermittent source of energy. In the transition from fossil fuels to hydrogen as an energy carrier, materials science will play an unprecedented role. Significant materials challenges exist in the production and storage of hydrogen related to development of renewable hydrogen energy based technologies. This joint effort between the University of Maryland and the Dayalbagh Educational Institute in Agra, India, implements a systematic study focusing on design, synthesis and evaluation of inexpensive, abundant and stable transition metal oxide semiconductor materials, hematite, titania and copper oxide, with end applications in photoelectrochemical production of hydrogen. The team brings together expertise in nanomaterials synthesis and characterization (US/India), and photoelectrochemistry (India). The objective is to improve the state-of-the-art for this class of photoactive materials through careful integration of synthesis, characterization, and simulation, and to use this basis for substantial fundamental advances in materials design.Through scientific exchange, as well as exchanges of personnel, the team develops significant intellectual infrastructure for materials research, as well as optimizes use of instruments and facilities at each of the partner institutions in this international collaboration. Beyond the laboratory, recognizing that advances in materials science will not be translated into improved quality of life without a well-trained scientific and engineering workforce, the multidisciplinary and multinational team and the timely topic of materials for hydrogen generation will attract and retain more students in the science, technology, engineering and mathematics (STEM) pipeline.This award is co-funded by the NSF Office of International Science and Engineering.