Electrochemical and photoelectrochemical studies of functional nanomaterials and nanocomposites

全球范围内日益增长的能源需求导致了化石燃料的过度消费，这已转化为气候变化日益有害的影响。加拿大承诺到2050年实现净零排放，并承诺到2030年将温室气体排放量比2005年减少40%至45%。设想的氢经济可以作为一个有前途的战略，使过渡从迅速衰落的化石燃料时代向一个新的，清洁的，可持续的能源生产模式。然而，在实现氢经济之前，三个核心技术问题（例如，氢的产生、储存和利用）。电解和光电化学水分解为可持续制氢提供了最大的潜力，其中高效和稳定的电催化剂和光催化剂对这些过程至关重要。由于氢气是一种低密度气体，因此很难以紧凑和负担得起的形式安全储存。目前可用的储氢材料中没有一种符合美国能源部制定的严格标准。农药在粮食生产中发挥着重要作用，因为它们通常用于保护作物免受昆虫，杂草，真菌和其他害虫的侵害。然而，农药对人类有潜在毒性，可能对健康产生急性和慢性影响。这项拟议的研究计划建立在我们的专业知识和探索新的方法来开发先进的电催化剂，光催化剂和纳米复合材料。其目标是为氢的生产和储存以及农药的去除创造高效的绿色技术。这项拟议的研究计划将致力于解决与电化学和光电化学界面的组成，结构和反应性相关的基本问题。特别是，我们将设计新颖的单原子催化剂，双原子催化剂，量子点和先进的三维纳米结构和纳米复合材料，并研究其局部的电催化和光化学活性，以及氢溢出效应。这项研究的结果预计将对纳米电化学和社会产生相当大的有益影响。它将有助于建立界面结构，成分和反应性之间的紧密联系，这将促进先进清洁技术的发展，以解决日益关键的能源，环境和气候变化问题。此外，这项拟议的研究计划将提供一个刺激的学术环境，培养本科生，研究生和博士后研究员在电化学，材料科学和清洁能源技术方面具有很强的专业知识。

Increasing energy demands on a global scale have led to the excessive consumption of fossil fuels, which has translated to the increasingly deleterious effects of climate change. Canada has committed to achieving net-zero emissions by 2050 and promised to reduce greenhouse gas emissions by 40 to 45 percent below 2005 levels by 2030. An envisioned hydrogen economy may serve as a promising strategy for making the transition from the rapidly waning fossil fuel era toward a new, clean, and sustainable energy generation paradigm. However, before a hydrogen economy is achieved, three core technical issues (e.g., hydrogen generation, storage, and utilization) need to be addressed. Electrolysis and photoelectrochemical water splitting offer the greatest potential for sustainable hydrogen production, where highly efficient and stable electrocatalysts and photocatalysts are essential to these processes. Since hydrogen is a low-density gas, it is difficult to store safely in a compact and affordable form. None of the currently available hydrogen storage materials meet the stringent criteria that has been established by the US Department of Energy. Pesticides play a major role in food production, as they are generally employed to protect crops against insects, weeds, fungi, and other pests. However, pesticides are potentially toxic to humans and can have both acute and chronic health impacts. This proposed research program builds on our expertise and explores novel approaches to develop advanced electrocatalysts, photocatalysts, and nanocomposites., with the goals of creating efficient Green Technologies for hydrogen production and storage, as well as for the removal of pesticides. This proposed research program will undertake to address fundamental issues associated with the composition, structure, and reactivity of electrochemical and photoelectrochemical interfaces. In particular, we will design novel single atom catalysts, double atom catalysts, quantum dots, and advanced three-dimensional nanostructures and nanocomposites, and investigate their localized electrocatalytic and photochemical activities, as well as hydrogen spillover effects. The findings from this proposed research are anticipated to have considerable beneficial implications for nanoelectrochemistry and society. It will assist with the establishment of firm correlations between interfacial structures, compositions, and reactivity, which will facilitate the development of advanced clean technologies to address increasingly critical energy, environmental, and climate change issues. Furthermore, this proposed research program will provide a stimulating academic environment for the training of undergraduate students, graduate students, and postdoctoral fellows with strong expertise in electrochemistry, materials science, and clean energy technologies.