PRISM · Probing the visible- light-driven photocatalytic mechanism to improve the photocatalytic performance of carbon nanodots (CNDs)
Horizon Europe — Marie Skłodowska-Curie Actions
- Duration
- 2024-01-01 → 2025-12-31
- EU contribution
- €181,153
- Participants
- 4
- Scheme
- HORIZON-TMA-MSCA-PF-EF
Lines connect the coordinator with its partners.
Results in brief
Probing the visible- light-driven photocatalytic mechanism to improve the photocatalytic performance of carbon nanodots (CNDs)
The PRISM project vision encompasses the Global warming and energy crisis from fossil fuels demand sustainable solar-to-fuel conversion via photocatalysis for H2 production and CO2 reduction. PRISM addresses limitations of conventional UV-absorbing carbon nanodots (CNDs) by developing visible-light-active, low-cost, metal-free photocatalysts through molecular doping. The objectives of e- PRISM are: (1) Synthesize structurally-defined CNDs with extended visible absorption and photostability via doping strategies; (2) Quantify HER/CO2RR performance and elucidate proton-coupled electron transfer (PCET) mechanisms using advanced spectroscopy/electrochemistry. Pathway to impact: Rational design principles for selective solar fuel catalysts, advancing EU Green Deal clean energy goals. Scale: Enables efficient water splitting/CO2-to-methane, replacing expensive metals for scalable green fuels.
Data: CORDIS, © European Union
Project objective
To address the global energy crisis, photocatalysis is one of the most advanced, green, and clean technologies for converting pollutants into fuel. However, low-cost photocatalysts with essential properties for hydrogen evolution reaction (HER) and CO2 reduction reaction (CO2RR) are very rare. After the accidental discovery of carbon nanodots (CNDs) in 2004, it is emerging as the rising star in photocatalysis due to readily low-cost synthesis, high water solubility, good photostability, and the position of conduction bands to afford catalytic reaction. However, on the one hand, research in visible-light-driven photocatalytic water splitting and CO2 reduction using CND catalyst is still in its infancy due to the very low molar extinction coefficients in the visible range. On the other hand, the contemporary literature fails to provide the actual mechanism of photocatalysis in CND materials. To date, the photocatalytic mechanism in CND materials mostly covered either single electron transfer or photo-base effect. Indeed, HER /CO2RR cannot be ensured by single electron transfer alone; electron transfer in conjunction with proton transfer, commonly referred to as proton-coupled electron transfer, is crucial to connect the actual multiple electrons and protons transfer. Therefore, exploring the proper photocatalytic mechanism in CND materials based on comprehensive globally analyzed time-resolved photophysical survey starting from femtoseconds to milliseconds and beyond using pump-probe transient absorption spectroscopy is an open research task. In addition, I will explore different synthetic strategies to increase molar extinction coefficients across the visible region to exploit the entire solar spectrum and increase the effective number of photogenerated carriers. Thus, our combined multidisciplinary approaches in synthesis, characterization, and application will definitely usher in a new era of nanomaterials research for new generations of energy sources.
Original text from CORDIS.
Participants
Links
- View on CORDIS
- DOI: 10.3030/101111176
- https://ec.europa.eu/research/participants/documents/downloadPublic?documentIds=080166e50dcba9b1&appId=PPGMS
- https://ec.europa.eu/research/participants/documents/downloadPublic?documentIds=080166e5252aab44&appId=PPGMS
Data: CORDIS, © European Union