Document Type

Poster

Journal/Book Title/Conference

Research On Capitol Hill 2014

Publication Date

1-30-2014

Faculty Mentor

Yujie Sun

Abstract

Hydrogen, when generated directly from water with renewal energy input, is a promising chemical fuel for sustainable energy applications. As such, the development of synthetic catalysts of hydrogen evolution reaction (HER) that functionally mimic the elegant water reduction chemistry of hydrogenase enzymes have attracted broad interest, but creating molecular systems that utilize earth-abundant elements and achieve high activity, low overpotential, and long-term stability in green aqueous media remains a significant challenge. Solid-state inorganic compounds offer an alternative strategy to meet this goal. Our group is developing 1st-row transition metal chalcogenides via facile potential dynamic deposition as competent HER catalysts in neutral aqueous media. By optimizing the deposition parameters, we are able to systematically control the composition and activity of the HER catalysts. Furthermore, this preparation method is compatible with deposition on semiconductors as well, resulting in a photoelectrochemical system for proton production from water under visible light irradiation, which provides a starting point for further structure/activity investigations of 1st-row transition metal chalcogenides for HER and other energy catalysis applications.This project has received an URCO Grant in the amount of $1000.

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Chemistry Commons

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