BRIGE: Nanostructured Transition Metal Dichalcogenides for the Solar Production of Hydrogen

jaramillobridge奖项通过增加工程技术研究人员的多样性来保持全球竞争力，这些研究人员在职业生涯的早期就开始了研究项目。bridge奖通过增加工程专业毕业生的数量，提高女性和少数族裔在工程领域的代表性，以及了解如何改善工程专业学生的招聘和保留，进一步扩大工程研究人员的参与。人类每天消耗的能源相当于2亿桶石油。每天，太阳在地球上储存的能量相当于1.7万亿桶。由于太阳提供的能量是人类消耗能量的近1万倍，因此有必要找到一种经济有效的方法来利用它。尽管在太阳能利用方面进行了数十年的研究，但我们仍然远远没有找到一种具有成本效益的解决方案，可以提供我们即将需要的~10太瓦的清洁能源。该bridge奖将在纳米级研究工程层状半导体，如MoS2和WS2，以调整其性质，通过光电化学（PEC）水分解将太阳光子直接转化为H2和O2。PI的目标是通过使用纳米结构来控制关键的PEC特性，即半导体带隙、带边与H2和O2氧化还原电位的对齐、半导体内的电荷传输、耐久性和析氢反应（HER）的表面动力学，从而改变太阳能研究。此前，PI已经能够合成纳米二硫化钼，并且与大块二硫化钼不同，这些颗粒由于其纳米结构而表现出优异的HER电催化性能。这些研究活动本质上是基础性的，旨在了解发生在这些纳米结构的二硫化物半导体上和内部的物理化学现象，以便利用这些知识开发新的纳米级半导体。PI的最终目标是开发高效的太阳能燃料设备。PI将广泛影响三大领域：社会、科学和教育。最大的能源挑战是提高太阳能的利用率，这将对全球和社会产生影响。从科学的角度来看，在这些纳米级二硫族半导体中获得的关于化学、催化、光学和电子现象的知识将广泛地为许多不同的科学领域做出贡献。在教育方面，PI将开展包括K-12，本科生和研究生在内的一系列外展活动。此外，波多黎各人PI已经在两个地方为波多黎各学生建立了拓展机会：(1)波多黎各大学（UPR）， PI打算在那里招募本科生申请斯坦福大学的博士课程；(2)PI的高中母校圣约翰学校，在那里他将与K-12学生互动，激励他们追求科学和工程学科。在离斯坦福大学更近的地方，PI还计划成为当地青少年法庭的榜样，他们中的大多数是代表性不足的少数民族。PI还将参与斯坦福大学工程学院（Stanford University School of Engineering）的项目，以吸引即将入学的一年级本科生进入科学和工程领域，并特别关注女性和未被充分代表的少数族裔。这项bridge补助金将扩大所有工程师的参与和增加机会，包括那些在工程学科中代表性不足的群体。BRIGE拨款还将鼓励私家侦探作为独立调查员积极和有竞争力地从事研究。

EEC-0824484JaramilloBRIGE awards maintain global competitiveness by increasing the diversity of ENG researchers, who are initiating research programs early in their careers. BRIGE awards further the broaden participation of engineering researchers by increasing the number of engineering graduates, by improving the representation of women and minorities in engineering, and by understanding how to improve recruitment and retention of engineering students.Human beings consume the energy equivalent of 200 million barrels of oil per day. Each day, the sun deposits on the earth an energy equivalent of 1.7 trillion barrels. Since the sun provides nearly 10,000 times more energy than humans consume, this necessitates a need to find a cost-effective way to harness it. Despite decades of research in solar utilization, we are still far from a cost-effective solution that can provide the ~10 TW of clean power that we will soon need. This BRIGE award will investigate engineering layered semiconductors, such as MoS2 and WS2, at the nanoscale level to tune their properties for the direct conversion of solar photons to H2 and O2 by photoelectrochemical (PEC) water-splitting. The PI aims to transform solar energy research by using nanostructure to control critical PEC properties-namely, the semiconductor bandgap, band edge alignment with H2 and O2 redox potentials, charge transport within the semiconductor, durability, and surface kinetics for the hydrogen evolution reaction (HER). Previously, the PI has been able to synthesize nanoparticulate MoS2 and that, unlike the case of bulk MoS2, these particles exhibit excellent electrocatalytic properties for the HER due to their nanostructure. The research activities are fundamental in nature and aim to understand the physico-chemical phenomena occurring on and within these nanostructured dichalcogenide semiconductors in order to exploit this knowledge for the development of new, nanoscale semiconductors. The PI's ultimate goal is to develop efficient solar-to-fuels devices.The PI will broadly impact three general areas: societal, scientific, and educational. The grand energy challenge is to improve utilization of solar energy, which will have global and societal impacts. From a scientific perspective, the knowledge gained regarding the chemical, catalytic, optical, and electronic phenomena within these nanoscale dichalcogenide semiconductors will contribute broadly to a number of different scientific fields. Regarding education, the PI will conduct a number of outreach activities involving K-12, undergraduate, and graduate students. Additionally, the PI, native of Puerto Rico, has established outreach opportunities to Puerto Rican students in two locations: (1) the University of Puerto Rico (UPR), where the PI intends to recruit undergraduates to apply to the Ph.D. program at Stanford University, and (2) at the high school alma mater of the PI, Saint John's School, where he will interact with K-12 students and inspire them to pursue science and engineering disciplines. Closer to Stanford University, the PI also plans to be a role model for local juvenile wards of the court, most of whom are underrepresented minorities. The PI will also participate in Stanford University School of Engineering programs to attract incoming first year undergraduates into science and engineering, with directed attention to women and underrepresented minorities.This BRIGE grant will broaden the participation of and increase opportunities for all engineers including those from groups underrepresented in the engineering disciplines. This BRIGE grant will also encourage the PI to become actively and competitively engaged in research as an independent investigator.