Determination of Quantum Effects in Plasmonic Electrocatalysis

该项目启动了蒙特雷亚尔大学的Nikolay Kornienko教授和德累斯顿理工学院的Inez Weidinger博士之间的第一次正式合作。这项研究的目的是研究等离子体电催化剂表面的光-物质相互作用，使电催化中的低能途径成为可能。具体地说，能够实现电子和质子隧穿的量子效应将利用两个合作伙伴的独特专业知识(Kornienko材料合成和电催化；魏丁格光谱和量子化学模拟)进行全面的研究。研究本身涉及纳米金粒子的晶格作用及其作为(光)电催化剂的应用，用于将N2转化为NH3，作为传统热化学NH3生产的可再生能源替代方案。只有通过加拿大和德国合作伙伴的共同贡献才能实现的互补性研究旨在促进可再生能源转换研究和量子材料研究的最新水平。这正好符合加拿大的国家量子战略和加拿大的可持续发展优先事项。此外，作为两名职业生涯早期和中期的研究人员之间的首次合作，这里开展的工作预计将成为未来努力的基石，包括与业界的合作，以及通过后续国际赠款对量子材料进行更大规模的研究。

This project initiates the first formal collaboration between Prof. Nikolay Kornienko from the Université deMontréal and Dr. Inez Weidinger from the Technische Universität Dresden. The research aims to investigatelight-matter interactions at the surface of plasmonic electrocatalysts that enable low-energy pathways inelectrocatalysis. Specifically, quantum effects that enable electron and proton tunneling will becomprehensively investigated using the unique expertise of both partners (Kornienko - materials synthesis andelectrocatalysis; Weidinger - spectroscopy and quantum chemical modelling).The research itself entails the fabriaction of nanoscopic gold particles and their application as(photo)electrocatalysts for the conversion of N2 to NH3 as a renewable-energy powered alternative toconverntional thermochemical NH3 production.The complementary research that is only possible through the joint contributions between the Canadian andGerman partners aims to advance the state of the art in renewable energy conversion research and in theinvestigations of quantum materials. This falls squarely within the National Quantum Strategy of Canada andthe Canadian priority of sustainability. Further, as the first collaboration between two early to mid-career researchers,the work performed here is anticipated to serve as a building block for future endeavors, includingcollaborations with industry and larger-scale investigations of quantum materials through follow-upinternational grants.