Interface engineering of photoelectrochemical and photocatalytic materials for solar fuels

Speaker: Dr Salvador Eslava, Reader in Applied Energy Materials, Dept of Chemical Engineering, Imperial College London

Abstract:

Direct solar conversion of water and CO2 in photoelectrochemical and photocatalytic devices presents a promising pathway to clean fuels and chemicals. Realizing this potential relies on developing low-cost, efficient photoelectrodes and photocatalysts. This presentation highlights recent advances from my group, including nanostructured BiVO4 photoanodes functionalized with bismuthene and NiFeOx, which tune surface states and boost photocurrent six-fold.

Another notable hybrid photoanode combines Ti-Fe2O3 with g- C3N4 nanosheets and Ni-CoP, achieving a seven-fold increase in photocurrent density by leveraging g- C3N4 to form a type-II heterojunction, extending charge carrier lifetime to the ms-s range, and enhancing hole transfer to Ni-CoP nanoparticles for enhanced oxygen evolution. Additionally, CsPbBr3 photoanodes protected with carbon allotropes (graphite, glassy carbon and boron-doped diamond sheets), nickel nanopyramids and NiFeOx catalyst deliver stable photocurrents above 6 mA cm-2 with projected multi-month durability, while photoanodes integrating organic solar cells (PM6 and PTQ10) achieve 25 mA cm-2 and tandem configurations reach 5% unassisted solar-to-hydrogen efficiency.

In photocatalysis, composites such as CsPbBr3/Cu-RGO, Cs2AgBiBr6/Cu-RGO, Cs2AgBiBr6/bismuthene, and Cs3Bi2Br9/RGO/g-C3N4, synthesized via mechanochemical methods and antisolvent crystallization, demonstrate promising activity in CO2 reduction to CO and CH4. Extensive material characterization has illuminated these materials’ structural and charge-transfer properties at their interfaces, providing a robust basis for further development and practical application.
 

All welcome!

 If you would like to schedule a meeting with Dr Eslava, please contact Prof. Erwin Reisner directly er376@cam.ac.uk