Catalyst Project: Photoelectrochemical Water Splitting for Hydrogen and Oxygen Production Using Nanostructured Materials

催化剂项目支持历史悠久的黑人学院和大学致力于建立教职员工的研究能力，以加强科学、技术、工程和数学本科教育和研究。预计该奖项将进一步提高教职员工的研究能力，改善学院的研究和教学，并让本科生参与研究经验。授予阿肯色州大学松林断崖的奖项有可能扩大几个领域的影响。该项目的目标是研究利用光、电和新材料从水中产生氢气和氧气。事实证明，这些气体的产生对拟议的太空旅行是有用的。几名本科生将参与这项工作，学习与纳米材料制造和能源生产相关的技术和理论。该项目由HBCU-UP和已建立的激励竞争研究计划(EPSCoR)共同资助。使用纳米材料的光电化学(PEC)分解水是以更容易、更便宜和可持续的方式产生氢气的最有前途的技术之一。PEC水分解是一种过程，涉及通过太阳辐射产生载流子(电子和空穴)，并将它们转移到各自的电极以产生H2和O2。然而，电荷分离和输运是PEC水分离的主要问题。在这里，我们打算开发一种新型的、高效的PEC裂水纳米催化剂，通过方便的一锅水热合成，在三维纳米支架上小心地生长PEC高效的催化剂和合适的带宽纳米材料。这种新型的纳米催化剂可以获得高的比表面积，从而有利于电荷的分离和抑制电子-空穴对的复合。此外，可以通过控制催化剂的尺寸和形貌来实现所需的PEC催化剂的带宽。将建立合成所需纳米结构的最佳条件，以最大限度地提高水的分解效率。结果将有助于解决空间任务和表面应用中的氢气和氧气短缺问题。这一奖项反映了美国国家科学基金会的法定使命，并通过使用基金会的智力优势和更广泛的影响审查标准进行评估，被认为值得支持。

Catalyst Projects provide support for Historically Black Colleges and Universities to work towards establishing research capacity of faculty to strengthen science, technology, engineering and mathematics undergraduate education and research. It is expected that the award will further the faculty member's research capability, improve research and teaching at the institution and involve undergraduate students in research experiences. The award to the University of Arkansas Pine Bluff has potential to broaden impacts in several areas. The goal of this project is to study the use of light, electricity and novel materials to generate hydrogen and oxygen from water. The production of these gases proves to be useful for proposed space travel. Several undergraduate students will participate in this work and learn techniques and theories related to nanomaterial fabrication and energy production. This project is jointly funded by HBCU-UP and the Established Program to Stimulate Competitive Research (EPSCoR).Photoelectrochemical (PEC) water splitting using nanomaterials is one of the most promising techniques to generate hydrogen in an easier, cheaper and sustainable way. PEC water splitting is a process which involves generation of charge carriers (electrons and holes) by solar radiation and their transfer to respective electrodes to produce H2 and O2. However, charge separation and transportation are the major concerns in PEC water splitting. Here we propose to develop a novel and highly efficient PEC water splitting nanocatalyst, by carefully growing a PEC-efficient catalyst with a suitable band width nanomaterial on a three-dimensional nanographene scaffold via a convenient one-pot hydrothermal synthesis. This novel nanocatalyst can achieve high surface to volume ratio which therefore facilitates charge separation and suppress electron-hole pair recombination. In addition, the desired PEC catalyst’s band width can be realized by controlling its size and morphology. Optimum conditions for synthesizing the desired nanostructures will be established to maximize the water-splitting efficiency. Results will help solve the hydrogen and oxygen shortage during space missions and surface applications.This award reflects NSF's statutory mission and has been deemed worthy of support through evaluation using the Foundation's intellectual merit and broader impacts review criteria.