Determination of Quantum Effects in Plasmonic Electrocatalysis

该项目是德累斯顿大学的Nikolay Kornienko教授和德累斯顿工业大学Universität的Inez Weidinger博士之间的首次正式合作。该研究旨在研究等离子体电催化剂表面的光-物质相互作用，从而实现电催化中的低能量途径。具体来说，利用双方的独特专业知识（Kornienko -材料合成和电催化；Weidinger -光谱学和量子化学建模），将全面研究使电子和质子隧穿成为可能的量子效应。这项研究本身需要纳米级金颗粒的制造，并将其用作（光）电催化剂，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品。只有通过加拿大和德国合作伙伴的共同贡献，才有可能进行互补研究，旨在推进可再生能源转换研究和量子材料研究的最新技术。这完全符合加拿大国家量子战略和加拿大可持续发展的优先事项。此外，作为两位职业生涯早期到中期的研究人员之间的首次合作，这里进行的工作有望成为未来努力的基石，包括与工业界的合作，以及通过后续国际资助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.