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

催化剂项目为历史上的黑人学院和大学提供支持，努力建立教师的研究能力，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师的研究能力，改善研究和教学机构，并参与研究经验的本科生。 授予阿肯色州松海崖大学的奖项有可能扩大在几个领域的影响。该项目的目标是研究利用光、电和新材料从水中产生氢和氧。这些气体的生产被证明对拟议中的太空旅行有用。一些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和刺激竞争研究的既定计划（EPSCoR）共同资助。使用纳米材料的光电化学（PEC）水分解是最有前途的技术之一，以更简单，更便宜和可持续的方式产生氢气。PEC水分解是一个涉及通过太阳辐射产生电荷载流子（电子和空穴）并将其转移到相应电极以产生H2和O2的过程。然而，电荷分离和传输是PEC水裂解的主要问题。在这里，我们建议开发一种新型的和高效的PEC水裂解纳米催化剂，通过仔细生长PEC高效催化剂与合适的带宽纳米材料上的三维纳米石墨烯支架通过方便的一锅水热合成。这种新型的纳米催化剂可以实现高的表面体积比，因此有利于电荷分离和抑制电子空穴对复合。此外，可以通过控制其尺寸和形态来实现期望的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分解效率。该奖项反映了NSF的法定使命，并通过使用基金会的知识价值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.