Molecular Studies and Supramolecular Organization of Multi-electron Photocatalysts for Solar Energy Conversion

弗雷德里克·麦克唐奈教授是德克萨斯大学阿灵顿分校化学与生物化学系的一名教员，他得到了无机、生物无机和有机金属化学项目的支持，开发了基于钌的多电子光催化剂。能够存储多个氧化还原当量以驱动质子耦合电子转移反应的双核配合物的电子结构作为pH的函数将被探索。将研究太阳能制氢和太阳能发电的策略。光催化是为数不多的有吸引力的替代方案之一，以目前的速度持续消耗能源来维持高水平的生活。有限的化石燃料能源正在迅速减少，将阳光转化为电能或氢气形式的能源的研究计划对未来实现可持续经济非常重要。

Professor Frederick MacDonnell, a faculty member in the Department of Chemistry and Biochemistry at the University of Texas at Arlington, is supported by the Inorganic, Bioinorganic and Organometallic Chemistry Program to develop multi-electron photocatalysts based on ruthenium. The electronic structure of dinuclear complexes capable of storing multiple redox equivalents to drive proton-coupled electron transfer reactions as a function of pH will be explored. Strategies for both hydrogen generation from sunlight and for electricity generation from sunlight will be investigated.Photocatalysis is one of the few attractive alternatives for maintaining a high standard of living based on continuing energy consumption at the current rate. Finite fossil fuel energy sources are dwindling rapidly, and research plans for converting sunlight to energy, either electrical or in the form of hydrogen gas, are important for future realization of a sustainable economy.