Combinatorial Synthesis of Semiconductors Used in the Photoelectrolysis of Water
Presentation Type
Poster/Portfolio
Presenter Major(s)
Cell and Molecular Biology
Mentor Information
Robert Smart
Department
Chemistry
Location
Kirkhof Center KC65
Start Date
11-4-2012 9:00 AM
Keywords
Sustainability
Abstract
Fossil fuels are being depleted at an ever-increasing rate while becoming harder and more costly to acquire. As the costs of the continued use of fossil fuels become more profound, the need for alternative energy development has never been so critical. The most likely source of readily affordable, "safe" and renewable of energy is the sun. Clearly effective harnessing of solar energy could move the planet away from the current crisis and to a sustainable future. The Holy Grail of solar energy conversion and storage is the photoelectrolysis of water using semiconductors as both the light absorber and energy converter, to store solar energy in the simplest chemical bond, H2. Our research focus is to synthesize a series of semiconductors made from multicomponent metal oxides with suitable band gaps and band positions for water photoelectrolysis operating as a photoanode.
Combinatorial Synthesis of Semiconductors Used in the Photoelectrolysis of Water
Kirkhof Center KC65
Fossil fuels are being depleted at an ever-increasing rate while becoming harder and more costly to acquire. As the costs of the continued use of fossil fuels become more profound, the need for alternative energy development has never been so critical. The most likely source of readily affordable, "safe" and renewable of energy is the sun. Clearly effective harnessing of solar energy could move the planet away from the current crisis and to a sustainable future. The Holy Grail of solar energy conversion and storage is the photoelectrolysis of water using semiconductors as both the light absorber and energy converter, to store solar energy in the simplest chemical bond, H2. Our research focus is to synthesize a series of semiconductors made from multicomponent metal oxides with suitable band gaps and band positions for water photoelectrolysis operating as a photoanode.