Energy Materials for Sustainable Development: Solar Energy Conversion
Sponsored by: ACerS Energy Materials and Systems Division
Program Organizers: Armin Feldhoff, Leibniz University Hannover; Kyle Brinkman, Clemson University; Krista Carlson, University of Nevada, Reno; Eva Hemmer, University of Ottawa; Nikola Kanas, Institute Biosense, University of Novi Sad; Kjell Wiik, Norwegian University of Science and Technology; Lei Zuo, Virginia Tech; Stephanie Lee, Stevens Institute of Technology; Muhammad Hajj, Stevens Institute of Technology; Mohammad Haik, Stevens Institute of Technology
Monday 4:00 PM
October 18, 2021
Room: A216
Location: Greater Columbus Convention Center
Session Chair: Scott Misture, Alfred University; Kenneth Sandhage, Purdue University
4:00 PM
The Role of Amorphous TiO2 Film in Performance of Si Photoanodes for Hydrogen Production by Photoelectrochemical Water Splitting: Mehrdad Abbasi Gharacheh1; Jun Meng2; Yutao Dong2; Dane Morgan2; Xudong Wang2; Jinwoo Hwang1; 1The Ohio State University; 2University of Wisconsin-Madison
One application of amorphous TiO2 (a-TiO2) is to protect Si photoande in photoelectrochemical (PEC) cell for water splitting to produce hydrogen as a renewable source of energy. The variations in PEC performance of photoanodes were reported as growth conditions of a-TiO2 films by the atomic layer deposition (ALD) change. Meanwhile, intermediate phases with different atomic orderings compared to the amorphous network have been found in amorphous titania films, whose relationship with short range, medium range orderings (SRO/MRO), and film properties has not been clear yet. Fluctuation electron microscopy (FEM), which is a statistical analysis of calculating the normalized variance from nano-diffractions, is able to detect medium range orderings (MROs) in amorphous materials. Moreover, angular correlation (AC) function by cross-correlating the nano-diffractions is capable of extracting the possible symmetry of MROs. This work will present new findings about the evolution of MROs in a-TiO2 as a function of ALD growth condition.
4:20 PM Invited
Now On-Demand Only - New Types of Oxides, Chalcogenide and Phosphide Catalyst for Water Splitting: Daniel Chua1; 1National University of Singapore
Electrocatalysts are critical to increase reaction rates and control selectivity in many electrochemical reaction. Rational design and synthesis of material with controlled structures and morphologies from nanoscale to microscale are of utmost importance in order to achieve optimal performances. Going beyond traditional noble metals such as gold and platinum, we shall like to report on a new generation of 0D, 1D and 2D nanocomposites for water splitting and beyond. As a part of this electrochemical system strongly depends on the catalyst support. We further show that the formation of hybrid core-shell nanostructures utilizing carbon materials and metal foams as a base template effectively enhance the performance and extend the range of applications. For example, MoS2/MoO2 or even VO3/VS2 coated graphene/carbon nanotubes formed excellent catalytical activity in the hydrogen evolution reaction.
4:50 PM Invited
Engineering Nanoscale Semiconductor-catalyst Interfaces for Low-cost Carbon-free Technology: Flavio de Souza1; 1Brazilian Center for Research in Energy and Materials
The efficiency of nanostructures for solar-to-hydrogen production via carbon-free technology such as photoelectrochemical water-splitting cell is fundamentally governed by the capability of the surface to sustain the reaction without electron trapping or recombination by photogenerated charge. This talk will summarize the latest progress on earth-abundant semiconductors, designed with columnar morphology via colloidal process, for PEC application. The columnar morphology efficiently minimizes the number of defects, grain boundaries, and surface traps normally present on the planar morphology. The nanostructure design faster becomes a key factor in the race for enhancing the PEC performance. In addition, the major drawback related to the hole diffusion through the solid/liquid interface will be addressed by correlating the use of high annealing temperature combined with dopant addition. Finally, a critical view and depth of understanding of these two parameters will be discussed focusing on the molecular oxygen evolution mechanism from the sunlight-driven water oxidation reaction