Engineering of two-dimensional heterostructural photocatalysts for hydrogen generation - HetCat

Project summary

Rationale: Photocatalytic solar hydrogen (H2) production from water is non-expensive method, suitable for scale-up, but at the present stage, efficiency is too low for commercial use. Main bottlenecks in achieving high efficiency stem from rapid charge recombination and inefficient solar light absorption. Objectives: Main objectives of the project are: (i) to combine computer modelling and innovative synthesis approaches for designing of new and efficient H2 evolution photocatalysts based on two-dimensional (epitaxial) nanoheterostructures, that have lower charge recombination rate due to small thickness and favourable charge transfer (direct Z-Scheme) and absorb in broad range of solar spectrum due to surface plasmon resonance and narrow band gap, (ii) to perform advanced characterization to understand interfacial properties and charge carrier dynamics. Potential: The increase in efficiency of solar-driven H2 production is of high importance to decarbonize our planet.