International Collaboration in Chemistry: Bioinspired Heterogeneous Photocatalyst Assemblies

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The Chemical Catalysis Program supports the research of Professors Krishnan Rajeshwar and Frank W. Foss Jr. of the University of Texas at Arlington to collaborate with Professor Yaron Paz of Technion - Israel Institute of Technology in Israel to design and develop more efficient photocatalytic assemblies via the assembly of multiple components with complementary functions in a composite architecture. This International Collaboration in Chemistry (ICC) project employs components that enhance electron transport in assemblies built from stable metal oxide semiconductors, efficient electron mediators, and robust and tunable flavin organocatalysts. The team synthetically tailors and assembles individual organic and inorganic chemical components to arrive at more efficient hybrid photocatalyst assemblies. These photocatalytic systems utilize molecular assemblies designed from earth abundant, inexpensive, and benign chemicals to create new processes for photochemical catalysis. This project includes international and cooperative research and education enabling a concerted focus on basic research questions related to photocatalytic assemblies that can convert sunlight into usable energy. The US investigators enable students at the Center for African American Studies and the AACCESS program, a program that provides need-based scholarships for tuition at UT Arlington to lower-income students at local Tarrant County Community Colleges. This project provides opportunities for high school, undergraduate and graduate students for hands-on experiences, exposing them to the collaborative nature of international research.