Research Projects

This project aims to develop efficient, stable, and environmentally friendly photocatalysts for green hydrogen (H₂) generation from wastewater. The focus is on tailoring the inherent properties of carbon nitride (CN)-based materials by tuning their band gaps, optimizing surface active sites, and enhancing solar light absorption through doping with metal nanostructures. To meet the requirements of practical applications, it is essential to work on the lifetime stability and high light absorption of the photocatalytic materials. For these materials to be viable, these materials must operate efficiently over extended periods while converting sunlight into H₂ at a level sufficient to make process economically competitive. Based on this requirement, it is crucial to design the photocatalysts with a narrow band gap (less than 2.36 eV) so that practical realization of H₂ production under solar illumination can be achieved. Despite their potential, many conventional photocatalytic materials have yet to demonstrate sufficient efficiency under broad solar region and lack of stability for practical conditions. For example. the bulk form of carbon nitride (CN), exhibits inadequate photophysical properties, and sluggish reaction kinetics constrain their overall photoactivity. To overcome these limitations, we will explore different CN polymorphs with tailored pore structures and optical properties, enabling improved pollutant adsorption and activation under both UV and visible light. A key objective is to adjust the band edge positions of CN materials to align with the redox potentials for water splitting (H⁺/H₂ at 0 V and O₂/H₂O at +1.23 V vs. NHE at pH 0), ensuring both effective H₂ production and simultaneous wastewater remediation. Furthermore, our aim is to harness the NIR region of solar spectrum by integrating the most suitable catalyst with plasmonic nanoparticles (NPs) of varying shapes. These NPs exhibit localized surface plasmon resonance (LSPR), which facilitates strong light–matter interactions, accelerates charge separation, and significantly boosts photocatalytic efficiency in the visible–NIR range. Additionally, to address recovery issues associated with conventional free-floating photocatalysts, we propose anchoring the CN-based materials onto substrates such as cellulose fibers or glass wool. Most photocatalytic reactors currently operate at lab scale and are optimized for small volumes, which limits scalability due to challenges such as insufficient light penetration, poor mass transport, difficulty in catalyst recovery, and low durability. Overcoming these research gaps is essential for making photocatalytic systems practical, cost-effective, and efficient for large-scale wastewater treatment and H₂ production.