Catalysis with a spin - controlling electron spin-polarisation through chirality

通过手性控制电子自旋极化的自旋催化

• 批准号: 2574378
• 金额: --
• 依托单位: University College London
• 依托单位国家: 英国
• 项目类别: Studentship
• 财政年份: 2021
• 资助国家: 英国
• 起止时间: 2021 至 无数据
• 项目状态: 未结题
• 来源: https://gtr.ukri.org/projects?ref=studentship-2574378
• 关键词: Catalysis; spin; controlling; electron; polarisation

Aim & Novelty: Organic semiconductors have been explored as an emerging material class for flexible and wearable electronics, however the controlled manipulation of electronic spin in these materials has mainly been disregarded to date. Organic semiconductors, typically composed of elements with low atomic numbers (Z), possess very weak spin-orbit coupling which allows for spin polarisation to be maintained over longer time scales (>10 microsecond), offering unprecedented opportunities for magnetic sensing, information storage, low power electronics and photocatalysis. Chiral molecules possess high spin selectivity for redox processes under a magnetic field and their electronic transport depends on the spin orientation of the electrons. This property can be of paramount significance for electrochemical reactions and can provide control over the electron pathway by using a chiral system to act as a spin filter. The control of chemical kinetics through spin selection could have extraordinary consequences in controlling redox processes and presents a radical departure from traditional methods of electrochemical reaction rate control. This project aims to examine the effect of the spin on the photogenerated charge carriers' transfer and recombination in chiral hybrid photocatalytic nanostructures to prevent for example the formation of undesired side reactions, such as hydrogen peroxide formation during the photocatalytic water splitting reaction. Impact: The interdisciplinary character of the project bridges the gap between fundamental curiosity-driven research and new organic spin-selective photocatalysts, and will contribute to the UK's long-term target of a net-zero carbon economy. Furthermore, the proposed research aligns with EPSRC's "Manufacturing the Future", "Energy" and "Light-Matter Interaction" themes, as well as covering fundamental aspects of soft-matter research, one of the EPSRC's growth areas. Research area expansion: The project will provide the opportunity to develop both ultrafast experimental methods and associated data analysis for a new class of organic materials and highly topical applications to demonstrate the potential of ultrafast techniques to a whole new scientific community, opening new pump-prime funding opportunities with industry as well as with other departments (i.e. Chemical Engineering).

目标和新奇：有机半导体已被探索作为柔性和可穿戴电子产品的新兴材料类别，然而迄今为止，这些材料中电子自旋的受控操纵主要被忽视。有机半导体通常由具有低原子序数（Z）的元素组成，具有非常弱的自旋-轨道耦合，这允许自旋极化在更长的时间尺度（>10微秒）上保持，为磁传感、信息存储、低功率电子器件和MEMS提供了前所未有的机会。手性分子在磁场作用下对氧化还原过程具有很高的自旋选择性，其电子输运依赖于电子的自旋取向。这种性质对于电化学反应是至关重要的，并且可以通过使用手性系统作为自旋过滤器来提供对电子路径的控制。通过自旋选择控制化学动力学可能在控制氧化还原过程中产生非凡的后果，并与传统的电化学反应速率控制方法截然不同。该项目旨在研究自旋对光生载流子在手性杂化光催化纳米结构中的转移和复合的影响，以防止例如形成不希望的副反应，例如在光催化水裂解反应期间形成过氧化氢。影响：该项目的跨学科性质弥合了好奇心驱动的基础研究与新型有机自旋选择性光催化剂之间的差距，并将有助于英国实现净零碳经济的长期目标。此外，拟议的研究符合EPSRC的“制造未来”，“能源”和“光物质相互作用”主题，以及涵盖软物质研究的基本方面，这是EPSRC的增长领域之一。研究领域拓展：该项目将为新型有机材料和高度热门应用开发超快实验方法和相关数据分析提供机会，以向全新的科学界展示超快技术的潜力，为工业以及其他部门（即化学工程）提供新的泵启动资金机会。