Application of nanostructured materials for molecular devices

• Grant number: 15/08139-3
• Support Opportunities: Scholarships abroad - Research Internship - Doctorate
• Effective date (Start): July 01, 2015
• Effective date (End): March 31, 2016
• Field of knowledge: Physical Sciences and Mathematics - Chemistry - Inorganic Chemistry
• Principal Investigator: Neyde Yukie Murakami Iha
• Grantee: Rodolfo Lopes Coppo
• Supervisor: Thomas J. Meyer
• Host Institution: Instituto de Química (IQ). Universidade de São Paulo (USP). São Paulo , SP, Brazil
• Research place: University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill (UNC), United States
• Associated to the scholarship: 14/04903-8 - Application of nanostructured materials for molecular devices, BP.DR

Abstract

This internship aims to complement the studies on the development of optoelectronic devices for energy conversion, granted by FAPESP (2014/04903-8). During this internship, the knowledge on DSCs will be extended for Dye Sensitized Photoelectrosynthesis Cells (DSPECs) and the main benefits will be the acquaintance with new techniques not available in our laboratory and the experience in a group with recognized leadership and scopes in a wide area of chemistry. DSPECs will be fabricated using thin films of nanostructured semiconductor oxides, in special, nano-compact films and novel microsphere layers, aiming at higher conversion efficiencies and/or better stabilities. The devices will be analyzed by time-resolved measurements in order to evaluate injection and intra-assembly catalyst electron transfer activation and their efficiencies will be assessed by incident photon-to-current efficiency (IPCE) spectra, photocurrent measurements and electrochemical impedance spectra.Novel Ir(III) complexes will also be synthesized and their photophysics/photochemistry, as well as Re(I) complexes, will be investigated by time-resolved techniques in order to analyze their excited state dynamics and possible application in energy conversion devices. (AU)