Composite oxides as next-generation photocatalysts for solar energy capture

该项目旨在制备新的光催化剂，通过直接将水分解为氧气和氢气，将太阳能捕获并转换为储存的能量，这是一种完全清洁和可再生的燃料。该项目将使用“自下而上”的纳米级方法，其中具有不同化学和电子性质，但至少在一个维度上具有兼容晶体结构的化合物在一个合成步骤中组装，形成有序的复合材料。通过制造化合物的复合材料，带隙-对捕获光至关重要-和表面-对释放氢气和氧气至关重要-它们相互补充，该项目可以以比传统自上而下修改更低的成本提供更高性能的材料。该项目将提供新的和改进的光催化剂，加快商业上可行的系统的进展，帮助建立一种新技术，并对光催化剂和风能等竞争技术施加压力，以推动可再生能源行业向前发展。

This project aims to prepare new photocatalysts that capture and convert solar energy to stored energy by directly splitting water into oxygen and hydrogen, a perfectly clean and renewable fuel. The project will use a "bottom-up" nanoscale approach, in which compounds with different chemical and electronic properties, but with compatible crystal structures in at least one dimension, are assembled in a single synthetic step to form a well-ordered composite. By making composites of compounds the band gaps - crucial to capturing light - and surfaces -crucial to evolving hydrogen and oxygen gas- of which complement each other, the project can deliver higher performing materials at a lower cost than can be achieved by conventional top-down modification. The project will deliver new and improved photocatalysts that will hasten progress towards commercially viable systems, helping to establish a new technology and putting pressure on competing technologies such as photovoltaics and wind to drive the renewables sector forward.