PROBING REACTION MECHANISMS IN PHOTOCATALYTIC H2 GENERATION

Project Information

PREMHYDRO

Grant agreement ID: 799778

DOI

10.3030/799778

Project closed

EC signature date 23 February 2018

Start date 1 September 2018

End date 31 August 2020

Funded under

• EXCELLENT SCIENCE - Marie Skłodowska-Curie Actions

Total cost

€ 175 866,00

EU contribution

€ 175 866,00

Coordinated by

DUBLIN CITY UNIVERSITY
Ireland

Periodic Reporting for period 1 - PREMHYDRO (PROBING REACTION MECHANISMS IN PHOTOCATALYTIC H2 GENERATION)

Reporting period: 2018-09-01 to 2020-08-31

Summary of the context and overall objectives of the project

A dramatic change is required in the energy vectors we currently use, with an urgent need to move away from fossil fuels, with a radical move towards renewable fuels required. This project works towards developing materials for solar hydrogen production.
The research involved developing efficient photochemical molecular systems for visible light-driven hydrogen production from water and also using time resolved studies to probe and characterize intermediates involved.
The overall objective is utilize solar energy to generate hydrogen from water and to convert CO2, a greenhouse gas into useful product.

Work performed from the beginning of the project to the end of the period covered by the report and main results achieved so far

The aim was to construct new molecular assemblies having sunlight absorbing groups, together with a catalytic centres for hydrogen evolution or CO2 reduction. Anchoring groups were introduced for attachment to the electrode surface. This requires exceptional skill in terms of chemical reactivity knowledge. In addition to synthesis, a wide range of time-resolved (TRIR, TAS, TCSPC) studies allowed us to characterize reactive intermediates on the pico to milli second time scales. These types of studies are essential to design superior catalysts for hydrogen generation. Currently three manuscripts are in the draft form for publication, in addition to a IDF.

Progress beyond the state of the art and expected potential impact (including the socio-economic impact and the wider societal implications of the project so far)

We have developed new approaches for anchoring ruthenium and rhenium photocatalysts on to electrode surface. For the first time, spectroelectrochemistry has been combined with TRIR to identify reactive intermediates in the pathway towards generating hydrogen from water. In designing efficient photoelectrochemical cells for technology development, it is essential we know the intermediates involved. Our studies combining TRIR and spectroelectrochemistry opens up new research area that has been pioneered by us.

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