Course Description:
Direct conversion of abundant resources such as water and CO2 into chemical fuels by using sunlight is an attractive solution to the problem of the intermittent nature of solar energy. Such 'solar fuels' have up to 100 times greater energy densities than the best batteries, and offer an attractive solution for large-scale, long-term energy storage. In this course, we will explore photo-electrochemical routes in which chemically-stable semiconductors are combined with catalysts to form efficient energy conversion devices and artificial leafs. The underlying principles, the choice and design of new materials, the role of defects, and engineering challenges for devices and reactors will be discussed.
This course will be taught in english.
Topics:
1. Climate Change, the Energy Challenge, and Hydrogen
2. Sustainable hydrogen production and electrolysis
3. Basic semiconductors properties: energy levels, charge carriers, dopants, junctions
4. Electronic properties and defect chemistry of metal oxides
5. The semiconductor/electrolyte interface: energetics and charge transfer processes
6. Photoelectrochemical water splitting, electrocatalysis, CO2 conversion
7. Materials design and selection, examples from the literature
8. Solar fuel devices, artificial leafs & reactors
- Trainer/in: Frank Beuster
- Trainer/in: Roel Krol