Single-Atom-based 2D-Photocatalysts
Provider: Grantová agentura ČR
Programme: EXPRO
Implementation period: 01.01.23 - 31.12.27
Workplace:
Fakulta chemicko-technologická - CEMNAT/věda z ostatních zdrojů
Investigator: Macák Jan
Description:
Single atoms (SA) have shown great potential in heterogeneous catalysis due to their superior activity, utility, selectivity. The significance of SA became also recognized in photocatalysis, a heterogeneous catalysis where catalysts are activated by incident light. SA act as co-catalysts in reactions of technological significance (solar H2 generation from H2O, CO2 conversion to low-cost fuels). The project deals with exploitation the interplay of SA co-catalysts and photocatalytic surfaces on highly defined scalable semiconductor thin films. For this, magnetron sputtering techniques with elaborated Atomic Layer Deposition techniques are combined to design ionic, electronic and steric single-atom-traps (with atomic precision) to achieve mechanistic understanding about reactivity/stability of SA and their interaction with a wide range of trap-free and independently optimized photoabsorber and sensitizer surfaces. The selection of techniques enables the exploitation of the full potential of SA catalysis in photocatalytic devices, with focus on the photocatalytic production of solar H2.
Single atoms (SA) have shown great potential in heterogeneous catalysis due to their superior activity, utility, selectivity. The significance of SA became also recognized in photocatalysis, a heterogeneous catalysis where catalysts are activated by incident light. SA act as co-catalysts in reactions of technological significance (solar H2 generation from H2O, CO2 conversion to low-cost fuels). The project deals with exploitation the interplay of SA co-catalysts and photocatalytic surfaces on highly defined scalable semiconductor thin films. For this, magnetron sputtering techniques with elaborated Atomic Layer Deposition techniques are combined to design ionic, electronic and steric single-atom-traps (with atomic precision) to achieve mechanistic understanding about reactivity/stability of SA and their interaction with a wide range of trap-free and independently optimized photoabsorber and sensitizer surfaces. The selection of techniques enables the exploitation of the full potential of SA catalysis in photocatalytic devices, with focus on the photocatalytic production of solar H2.
