Group “Light for Hydrogen” – Nanostructure design for photocatalytic water splitting

Our goal is to use specifically designed nanostructures for increasing the light-to-hydrogen efficiency of photocatalytic materials. The basic principle of photocatalytic water splitting is very simple: the photocatalyst (as a suspension or attached to an electrode) is immersed in water and irradiated with sunlight upon the formation of hydrogen gas. If hydrogen can be generated in an efficient and environmentally friendly manner, hydrogen can be the most important energy carrier of the future.

We aim to enhance the light-to-hydrogen efficiency using the following projects:

1. Design of Metal Organic Framework (MOF) nanostructures via electrochemical oxidation,
2. Photocatalytic nanostructures made via templated electrodeposition,
3. Photocatalytic nanofibers made by electrospinning via sol-gel chemistry,
4. Investigation of the physical and chemical suitability of different types of nanostructures for photocatalytic water splitting,
5. Combination of different photocatalytic nanostructures and materials for the design of photocatalytic cells for improved photoelectrochemical and autonomous water splitting,
6. Metallurgical grade silicium nanostructures and efficiency enhancement by co-catalysts.