Photocatalysis and Novel Materials

The Photocatalysis and Novel Materials Research Team focuses on using inorganic semiconductor nanocrystals as well as carbon dots to absorb light and drive energetically up-hill reactions such as water splitting or carbon dioxide reduction. In this way, the energy of the incident photons is stored in the chemical bonds of the products: hydrogen, methanol, or methane. The team is particularly interested in understanding the underlying mechanism of the photocatalytic process in order to increase the efficiency and help photocatalysis become a viable option for energy harvesting and storage.

In this research team, we further discuss novel materials, nanosystems, and hybrid combinations thereof. We aim at realizing new pathways for creating light-based functional nanostructures. We particularly aim at novel optoelectronic and photochemical properties. External collaborations allow us to employ machine learning techniques to identify the right ingredients for the design of functional systems.