Study of NaTaO3/Fe2TiO5 and NaTaO3/WO3 tandem junctions for hydrogen production from water and sunlight

• Grant number: 18/25705-0
• Support type: Scholarships in Brazil - Master
• Effective date (Start): March 01, 2019
• Effective date (End): April 30, 2021
• Field of knowledge: Physical Sciences and Mathematics - Physics - Condensed Matter Physics
• Principal researcher: Renato Vitalino Gonçalves
• Grantee: Gustavo Andrade Silva Alves
• Home Institution: Instituto de Física de São Carlos (IFSC). Universidade de São Paulo (USP). São Carlos , SP, Brazil
• Associated research grant: 17/18716-3 - Artificial photosynthesis: development of Tandem systems for hydrogen production from water and sunlight, AP.JP

Abstract

The search for sustainable energy sources with low environmental impact has attracted a major attention over the last two decades. Recently, hydrogen production from sunlight (through the artificial photosynthesis reaction) has gained considerable interest, being regarded as one of the most promising strategies for fuel production. The artificial photosynthesis reaction has received a new impulse with the advent of nanotechnology, due to the improvements in characterization techniques and synthesis methods for nanomaterials. Nanojunctions between multiple photon absorbers is considered a promising strategy for making large-scale artificial photosynthesis viable. The objective of this masters project is the development of NaTaO3/Fe2TiO5 and NaTaO3/WO3 nanojunctions for H2 and O2 generation from water and sunlight in a suspension system. The electronic and structural properties of the junctions will be investigated using techniques of X-ray absorption spectroscopy(XAS), X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy (XPS) and electrochemical impedance spectroscopy, elucidating the charge transfer mechanism in the interface of the junctions. Furthermore, a detailed study on the photocatalytic activity in a suspension system will be carried out. (AU)

Scientific publications

(References retrieved automatically from Web of Science and SciELO through information on FAPESP grants and their corresponding numbers as mentioned in the publications by the authors)

ALVES, GUSTAVO A. S.; CENTURION, HIGOR A.; SAMBRANO, JULIO R.; FERRER, MATEUS M.; GONCALVES, V, RENATO. Band Gap Narrowing of Bi-Doped NaTaO3 for Photocatalytic Hydrogen Evolution under Simulated Sunlight: A Pseudocubic Phase Induced by Doping. ACS APPLIED ENERGY MATERIALS, v. 4, n. 1, p. 671-679, JAN 25 2021. Web of Science Citations: 0.