Doped-nanocrystal/graphene hybrid structure for noble metal-free photocatalytic hydrogen production

在典型的用于生产氢气的基于电催化剂的催化剂中，通常使用贵金属助催化剂（通常为Pt或Pd）来提高对于催化剂的功能至关重要的电荷载体分离和转移的效率。这种贵金属成分使整个系统的经济性难以维持。已经研究了许多方法来减少对贵金属的依赖。 在这个奖项从国家科学基金会催化生物催化计划，教授。德州农工大学的Dong Hee Son和Hae-Kwon Jeong提出了一种基于独特材料组合和特性的新的更经济的策略。拟议的研究旨在通过探索半导体催化剂的过渡金属掺杂与还原氧化石墨烯（RGO）形成混合结构相结合的协同效应，大大提高基于半导体的光催化剂的制氢效率。 昂贵的贵金属助催化剂所起的作用将被大量的过渡金属掺杂剂离子（例如，Mn或Cu），其最近显示出延长半导体中的电子寿命，从而提高电荷分离和转移的效率。 掺杂的纳米晶体与RGO的组合提供了更有效的光催化还原反应的优点，这通过RGO作为大面积电极来促进。研究小组将开发出H2O/RGO混合光催化剂的结构与光催化还原关键步骤的效率之间的相关性（即，电荷分离，电荷转移）和整体制氢效率，从而优化用于制氢的催化剂结构。拟议研究的教育部分将侧重于本科研究实验的开发，作为NSF-REU计划和本科研究课程参与者培训的一部分。这些经验将导致开发一个可移动的实验工具包，将在当地高中现场使用，通过可再生能源技术方案培训当地高中教师。这将被设计为一个新的组成部分，大学范围内的推广工作，利用传播机制，已经在得克萨斯州A M。

In typical semiconductor-based photocatalysis to produce hydrogen, noble metal co-catalysts, typically Pt or Pd, are often used to enhance the efficiency of charge carrier separation and transfer that are essential for the function of catalyst. This noble metal component makes the economics of the overall system untenable. Many approaches have been investigated to reduce the dependence on noble metals. In this award from the National Science Foundation Catalysis & Biocatalysis Program, Profs. Dong Hee Son and Hae-Kwon Jeong of Texas A&M University propose a new and more economical strategy based on unique material combinations and properties. The proposed research aims to greatly enhance hydrogen production efficiency of semiconductor-based photocatalysts by exploring the synergistic effect of transition metal doping of the semiconductor catalyst combined with the formation of a hybrid structure with reduced graphene oxide (RGO). The role played by the costly noble metal co-catalyst will be replaced by abundant transition metal dopant ions (e.g., Mn or Cu), which were recently shown to extend the electron lifetime in semiconductors and thus enhancing the efficiency of charge separation and transfer. The combination of the doped nanocrystals with RGO offers the advantage of a more efficient photocatalytic reduction reaction, facilitated by the RGO functioning as the large-area electrode. The investigative team will develop the correlation of the structure of nanocrystal/RGO hybrid photocatalysts with the efficiencies of key steps of photocatalytic reduction (i.e., charge separation, charge transfer) and the overall hydrogen production efficiency, leading to an optimized structure of the catalyst for hydrogen production.The educational component of the proposed research will focus on the development of experiments for undergraduate research as a part of training the participants in a NSF-REU program and in undergraduate research classes. These experiences will lead to the development of a transportable experiment kit that will be used on site at local high schools, with training of local high school teachers through a RET Program. This will be designed as a new component of the university-wide outreach effort, exploiting the dissemination mechanisms that are already in place at Texas A&M.