Plasmon-Enhanced Ruthenium Catalysts for Efficient Water Splitting and Sustainable Hydrogen Production

• Grant number: 24/21220-3
• Support Opportunities: Scholarships in Brazil - Post-Doctoral
• Start date: September 01, 2025
• End date: August 31, 2028
• Field of knowledge: Physical Sciences and Mathematics - Chemistry - Physical-Chemistry
• Principal Investigator: Pablo Sebastián Fernández
• Grantee: Katia Emiko Guima Menezes
• Host Institution: Instituto de Química (IQ). Universidade Estadual de Campinas (UNICAMP). Campinas , SP, Brazil
• Company: Universidade Estadual de Campinas (UNICAMP). Instituto de Química (IQ)
• Associated research grant: 17/11986-5 - Generation and storage of New Energy: bringing technological development for the country, AP.PCPE

Abstract

A promising approach to sustainable hydrogen production is water electrolysis (water splitting). For large-scale applications, this process necessitates the development of efficient and stable catalysts, particularly for the anodic oxygen evolution reaction (OER). The most commonly used anodic catalysts are noble metal-based, especially iridium and ruthenium, due to their effectiveness. Research in this field has focused on optimizing these materials by adjusting surface properties, morphology, and size to enhance performance and reduce the reliance on costly noble metals.Despite significant advancements, OER remains one of the primary bottlenecks in achieving economically viable green hydrogen production. In response, metal nanoparticles like silver and gold present new opportunities for catalytic improvements, as they can harness visible light through localized surface plasmon resonance (LSPR). This postdoctoral project proposes the preparation of Ag nanostructured surfaces that maximize LSPR, followed by the deposition of controlled amounts of Ru to enhance their catalytic properties in water electrolysis. These composites will undergo comprehensive electrochemical testing under light and dark conditions. Furthermore, they will be characterized pre-, during, and post-electrolysis using a suite of conventional ex situ and advanced in situ techniques, including X-ray diffraction, Raman spectroscopy, and synchrotron-based methods. This approach aims to unravel the fundamental mechanisms at play on a microscopic scale, fostering an in-depth understanding of the reaction dynamics involved.