Nanocrystal Tandems as Improved Solar Water Splitting Photocatalysts

PI：Osterloh提案编号： 1133099知识点太阳能？水被驱动分解成氢气和氧气是生产氢气（H2）形式的清洁、无碳可再生燃料的有希望的途径。 尽管许多半导体材料催化该反应，但太阳能转换效率对于商业应用来说仍然太低（1%）。 这项拟议研究的总体目标是合成用于太阳能驱动水分解的纳米晶体串联光催化剂。 这些催化剂联合收割机了串联电池的高理论效率极限（24%）和无机纳米晶体的优点，包括高结晶度，短电荷传输路径和可调节的电子结构。悬浮在水中或作为薄膜沉积，串联光催化剂将被设计为实现以大于1%的效率分解水的困难的技术目标。 第一个目标是合成定义良好的光催化剂模型系统，这将允许详细研究光吸收，光化学电荷产生和电荷转移串联光催化剂系统。 这些性质是无机纳米晶体在太阳能转换和太阳能电池中应用的核心。 第二个目标是获得对金属氧化物和硫族化物纳米晶体的光化学和电荷转移性质的基本理解，并将这些性质与它们的电子结构联系起来。 在这里获得的机理洞察力将作为设计新的水分解光催化剂的基础。更广泛的影响拟议的活动旨在教育学生和公众有关太阳能和气候变化的问题，从拟议的研究中得出的例子。 为此，无机纳米粒子的光催化性能的模块将被纳入催化在加州大学戴维斯分校（UC-Davis）的化学系的研究生水平的类，并在光催化H2生产的金属氧化物凝胶的合成和测试的实验模块将被纳入本科化学实验室在UC-Davis。 还将开发光催化H2演示，并将其纳入将通过加州大学戴维斯分校化学俱乐部进行的公众化学表演中。

PI: OsterlohProposal Number: 1133099Intellectual Merit The solar energy?]driven splitting of water into hydrogen and oxygen is promising route for the production of clean, carbon-free renewable fuel in the form of hydrogen gas (H2). Although many semiconductor materials catalyze this reaction, the solar energy conversion efficiency is still too low (1%) for commercial applications. The overall goal of this proposed research is to synthesize nanocrystal tandem photocatalysts for solar energy driven water splitting. These catalysts combine the high theoretical efficiency limit of tandem cells (24%) with the advantages of inorganic nanocrystals, including high crystallinity, short charge transport pathways, and adjustable electronic structure. Suspended in water or as deposited as a thin film, the tandem photocatalysts will be designed to achieve the difficult technical goal of splitting water at greater than 1% efficiency.The proposed research has two fundamental objectives. The first objective is to synthesize well-defined nanocrystal model systems that will allow detailed studies on light absorption, photochemical charge generation and charge transfer in tandem photocatalyst systems. These properties are central to applications of inorganic nanocrystals for solar energy conversion and photocatalysis. The second objective is to gain fundamental understanding on the photochemical and charge transfer properties of metal oxide and chalcogenide nanocrystals, and relate these properties to their electronic structure. The mechanistic insight gained here will serve as the basis for designing new water splitting photocatalysts.Broader ImpactsThe proposed activities are designed to educate students and the public on issues related to solar energy and climate change, with examples derived from the proposed research. Towards this end, a module on the photocatalytic properties of inorganic nanoparticles will be incorporated into a graduate level class on catalysis in the Chemistry Department at the University of California at Davis (UC-Davis), and an experimental module on synthesis and testing of metal oxide gels for photocatalytic H2 production will be incorporated into the undergraduate chemistry laboratory at UC-Davis. A photocatalytic H2 demo will also be developed and incorporated into chemistry shows for the public that will be performed through the UC-Davis Chemistry Club.