Title : Conducting Polymer Nanostructures for Visible Light-Driven Photocatalysis: Mechanisms, Challenges, and Design Strategies
Abstract:
Energy harvesting from solar light employing nanostructured materials offer an economic way to resolve environmental issues.1 In the last decades, photocatalysis has been demonstrated to be one of the most promising approaches to environmental remediation as well as in the fuel production (hydrogen, methanol) from water and carbon dioxide. However, preparation, and application of catalytic nanostructure are still at the foreground of research activity. Recently, conducting polymer nanostructures (CPNs) have demonstrated its capability in solar light harvesting, a promising breakthrough in photocatalytic application.2-4As an alternative to conventional catalytic materials such as TiO2, CPNs shows high photocatalytic activity under visible light for the degradation of pollutants without the assistance of sacrificial reagent or precious metal co-catalyst. Polymer nanostructures can be directly synthesized through soft template mediated approach and modulate the size, morphology, and structure of polymer for example, polypyrrole nanofibers (PPy), poly (3,4 ethylene dioxythiophene) nanospindles (PEDOT) etc. Notably, CPNs offer the perspective of development of a new generation of efficient photocatalysts which can be reused after repeated cycling without appreciable loss of activity for environmental protection.5 Moreover, conducting polymers have the unique feature of hybridization with other classes of nanostructures (for example, semiconductors or plasmonic nanoparticles) to produce novel hybrid materials with multifunctional properties. Interestingly, the metal oxide/conducting polymer heterostructures exhibited higher charge carrier density, low resistivity and greater photocurrent density compare to metal oxides and CPNs. A p-n junction may be formed between polymer and metal oxide interfaces which further improves the catalytic activity by creating an internal electric field. Notably, the separation and transfer of photoexcited charge carriers have been greatly improved between metal oxide and polymer nanostructures manifested by femtosecond transient absorption spectroscopy. The emerging understanding of photoelectrochemical processes, materials fabrication, mechanisms, as well as challenges may helpful for solar fuel production and water purification.
What will audience learn from your presentation?
- Explain how the audience will be able to use what they learn?
Twenty years after the discovery of conjugated polymers, conjugated polymer in nano dimension with the objective of tuning the intrinsic properties or integrated systems with multiple functionalities for the application in energy domain. Recognizing the importance of conjugated polymers with their unique nanostructures and beneficial characteristics of low cost, good environmental stability, high conductivity, high carrier mobility, good mechanical properties, large specific surface area have drawn considerable attention renewable energy conversion and storage applicationsThe presentation will give a comprehensive description of synthesis and characterization of conjugated polymer nanostructures and hybrid or composites materials for energy conversion applications such as water splitting or degradation of organic pollutants, and solar fuel production. The main objective is to present the state of art of interesting conjugated polymer-based nanomaterials for energy conversion technologies, including fundamentals, functionalities, challenges. Also highlights the photo
- How will this help the audience in their job? Is this research that other faculty could use to expand their research or teaching? Does this provide a practical solution to a problem that could simplify or make a designer’s job more efficient? Will it improve the accuracy of a design, or provide new information to assist in a design problem? List all other benefits.
The presentation will address a variety of topics such as materials and fabrication, characterization, as well as challenges which includes in-depth discussions ranging from comprehensive understanding, to engineering of materials and applied devices. It covers the advances in synthesis, characterization of conjugated polymer nanostructures, and the measurement of their applicability in energy harvesting application. The presentation will be of interests to multidisciplinary audiences in the fields of academia and industry. Specifically, conjugated polymer nanostructures with interesting and unanticipated properties have drawn attention across the scientific community including synthetic chemist, material scientist, organic chemist, as well as theoretical and experimental physicists. The presentation will provide better understanding of the current state of conjugated polymer nanostructures fabrication and its possible applications in energy domain.
