Collaborative Research: SusChEM: The Design and Study of Systems for Making Solar Hydrogen

合作研究：SusChEM：太阳能制氢系统的设计和研究

• 批准号: 1566142
• 负责人: Michael Detty
• 金额: $ 35万
• 依托单位: SUNY at Buffalo
• 依托单位国家: 美国
• 项目类别: Standard Grant
• 财政年份: 2016
• 资助国家: 美国
• 起止时间: 2016-09-01 至 2019-08-31
• 项目状态: 已结题
• 来源: https://www.nsf.gov/awardsearch/showAward?AWD_ID=1566142&HistoricalAwards=false
• 关键词: Collaborative; Research; SusChEM; Design; Study

This project is supported by the Chemical Catalysis Program of the National Science Foundation and involves a four-way collaboration between Professors David McCamant and Richard Eisenberg of the University of Rochester, and Michael Detty and David Watson of the University at Buffalo. The goal of the research is to develop a new fundamental understanding of chemical systems that can produce hydrogen by splitting water molecules into hydrogen (H2) and oxygen (O2) gases using solar energy. For the capture and storage of solar energy, water splitting is the ideal reaction. The recombination of H2 and O2 to produce water is a convenient and clean source of energy upon demand. This research project involves making new molecules to facilitate the water splitting reaction in the Eisenberg lab, making new dye molecules to absorb visible light from the sun in the Detty lab, studying the fast photochemical reactions that occur after those molecules absorb light in the McCamant lab, and making new nanoparticle semiconductor systems as scaffolds for solar hydrogen production in the Watson lab. Each of the investigators brings to the collaborative research different perspectives and skills that are leading to a significant new understanding of a fundamentally challenging problem in solar energy conversion. In outreach efforts, the scientists supported by this grant are working with local elementary schools in Rochester and Buffalo, New York, to develop energy-related science modules that can inspire the next generation of scientists. This research, funded by the Chemical Catalysis Program of the NSF, consists of the design and study of systems for the light-driven generation of H2 from aqueous protons, and associated photochemical and photophysical investigations to fully understand this transformation. The reaction corresponds to the reductive side of water splitting, 2H+ + 2e- - H2, which is the key reaction in artificial photosynthesis and the conversion of light into stored chemical potential energy. While seemingly simple, the detailed mechanism of the light-driven generation of H2 is complex, particularly in an integrated system. In this project, the researchers focus on three specific research goals: the synthesis and characterization of new chromophores; the design and development of new catalysts containing common metal ions that are effective in photochemical systems for light-driven proton reduction in aqueous media; and the construction of new integrated proton reduction systems based on semiconductor materials such as SrTiO3, as structural scaffolds and on photocathode materials such as CuAlO2, to eliminate the need for chemical sources of electrons for proton reduction. Each of these areas are being explored with cutting-edge femtosecond time-resolved spectroscopy capable of probing dynamics involving initial light-driven events, longer duration transient absorption methods to follow later electron transfers and steady-state methods that can establish mechanisms of catalysis, molecular and interfacial structures, and long-term system stability. The scientists supported by this grant are also working with local elementary schools in Rochester and Buffalo, New York, to develop energy related science modules that can inspire the next generation of scientists.

这个项目得到了美国国家科学基金会化学催化计划的支持，罗切斯特大学的大卫·麦卡曼特教授和理查德·艾森伯格教授，以及布法罗大学的迈克尔·德蒂和大卫·沃森教授之间进行了四方合作。这项研究的目标是对可以通过利用太阳能将水分子分解为氢(H2)和氧(O2)气体来产生氢的化学系统有一个新的基本理解。对于太阳能的捕获和储存，水的分解是理想的反应。氢气和氧气的复合生产水是一种按需方便和清洁的能源。这项研究项目包括在艾森伯格实验室制造新的分子来促进水的分解反应，在Detty实验室制造新的染料分子来吸收来自太阳的可见光，在McCamant实验室研究这些分子吸收光后发生的快速光化学反应，以及在Watson实验室制造新的纳米半导体系统作为太阳能制氢的支架。每个研究人员都为合作研究带来了不同的观点和技能，这些观点和技能正在导致对太阳能转换中一个具有根本性挑战的问题有一个重要的新理解。在外展工作中，这笔赠款支持的科学家正在与纽约罗切斯特和布法罗的当地小学合作，开发与能源相关的科学模块，以激励下一代科学家。这项研究由美国国家科学基金会的化学催化计划资助，包括设计和研究从水中的质子光驱动产生氢的系统，以及相关的光化学和光物理研究，以充分了解这一转变。该反应对应于水分解的还原侧2H++2E-H2，这是人工光合作用和将光转化为储存的化学势能的关键反应。虽然看似简单，但光驱产生氢气的详细机制却很复杂，尤其是在一个集成系统中。在这个项目中，研究人员集中在三个具体的研究目标上：合成和表征新的生色团；设计和开发在水介质中用于光驱动质子还原的光化学系统中有效的含有常见金属离子的新型催化剂；以及构建基于半导体材料如SrTiO3作为结构支架和以光电阴极材料如CuAlO2为基础的新的集成质子还原系统，以消除质子还原对化学电子来源的需求。这些领域中的每一个都在探索尖端的飞秒时间分辨光谱学，能够探测涉及初始光驱动事件的动力学，后续电子转移的更长持续时间的瞬时吸收方法，以及可以建立催化、分子和界面结构以及长期系统稳定性机制的稳态方法。这笔赠款支持的科学家还与纽约罗切斯特和布法罗的当地小学合作，开发与能源相关的科学模块，以激励下一代科学家。