Research Projects

The shift towards renewable energy resources is crucial, and photocatalytic hydrogen production is considered a promising and sustainable approach. However, there are challenges to improve the robustness and efficiency of this new class of photocatalysts, such as lack of visible light absorption, competitive recombination processes due to undefined molecular packing, shorter diffusion length, lack of long living free carriers, and lack of active sites. To address these challenges, researchers are proposing the fabrication of D-A-D and A-D-A type self-assembled nanomaterials using solution-based reprecipitation methods from highly defined D and A type small molecules. This will improve visible absorption and photo-induced charge separation. The self-assembled organic nanomaterials will be combined with other fullerene/non-fullerene type acceptors through conjugated carbon networks as electron transporters, generating photo-induced long living free carriers and reducing competitive recombination processes. Long living electrons will migrate to specific active sites for photocatalytic H2 production, and the counter hole located at D type molecules will be utilized for simultaneous oxidative transformation of waste materials to valuable products. The efficiency enhancement of green H2 production and upscaling of waste material transformation to valuable products will be emphasized through molecular/atomic scale optimizations of the photocatalysts. The system will be utilized for H2 production directly from sea water using waste products as feedstock.