Institute of High Pressure Physics, PAS
The Laboratory of Nanostructures specializes in the characterization of nanomaterials and applied nanotechnology.
Development of the new PCN-nanocomposites for photocatalysis. Experimental and computational approach Physical Engineering
tel.: 48579254297 som.narayan@unipress.waw.pl
The main objectives of nanoHER are to produce highly efficient photocatalysts based on PCN-nanocomposites and narrowing the band gap of PCN-nanocomposite, and obtaining heterostructures of PCN with nano metal oxide.
Population growing, the world must address two crucial problems: energy and the environment. Photocatalysis of water splitting offers a novel method for addressing both problems. The polymeric carbon nitride (PCN) and ZnO have been used as photocatalysts for many purposes, but exhibit low catalytic activity towards hydrogen evolution reaction due to low solar to hydrogen efficiency as the band gap is about 2.7-3.2 eV and not having enough specific surface area for the reaction to occur. Therefore, there is a need for materials with high harvesting capacity and with high surface-active area. The solution of this issue can be found with the modulation of polymeric carbon nitride (PCN) fundamental properties that can be done with the formation of nanocomposite with metal oxides such ZnO and AlOOH-ZrO2. The heterostructuring not only modulates the band gap and enhances surface activity but also provides thermal stability. A new class of functional nanocomposites based on PCN will be characterized by both a high specific surface area (SSABET above 70 m²/g) and a uniform and narrow (about 2-3 eV) band gap. The development of the new material has been enabled by a completely new synthesis route which essentially consists of forming a nanometric PCN layer on the surface of oxide nanoparticles thus forming PCN nanocomposites. It is possible to significantly decrease PCN formation temperature on the surface of AlOOH and ZrO2 nanopowders by up to 200°C by using a very fast heating rate in tube furnace during synthesis and has a higher chance for mass production in the future. With an experimental approach we would need a lot of resources; therefore, a computing modelling-based approach would guide the experimental research. The performed calculations will allow to build an understanding of the heterojunction preference to form the band alignment to the reduction position of 2H+/H2 which will be essential descriptor for hydrogen evolution reaction.
Narayan Som started his scientific career as a research fellow at the Maharaja Sayajirao University of Baroda, India, in 2015 and graduated with a PhD degree in 2020. In 2021, to progress his research N. Som joined the BIOG-NET project at the Faculty of Materials Science and Engineering of Warsaw University of Technology in Poland. Presently, he is holding a postdoctoral fellow position at the Institute of High Pressure Physics of the Polish Academy of Sciences.
Som, N. N., Mankad, V., & Jha, P. K. (2018). Hydrogen evolution reaction: The role of arsenene nanosheet and dopant. International Journal of Hydrogen Energy, 43(47), 21634-21641.
Som, N. N., & Jha, P. K. (2020). Hydrogen evolution reaction of metal di-chalcogenides: ZrS2, ZrSe2 and Janus ZrSSe. International Journal of Hydrogen Energy, 45(44), 23920-23927.
Sattigeri, R. M., Dhori, B. R., Som, N. N., Jha, P. K., & Kurzydłowski, D. (2022). Investigation of Topological and Catalytic Properties of Gold Iodide Monolayer: A Density Functional Theory Study. physica status solidi (RRL)–Rapid Research Letters, 16(5), 2100657.
29/37 Sokołowska 01-142 Warszawa, Poland
Supervisor
Prof. Witold Łojkowski
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