Park Knowledge Portal

Speaker : Prof. Gary Brudvig Affiliation : Yale University; Nanotechnology and Nano Futures Journals Region : Asia Year : 2022 Language : English Devising cost effective methods for efficiently capturing and storing solar energy is among the grand challenges of science. We are using insights from studies of natural photosynthetic systems to develop bioinspired molecular catalysts for photo- and electrochemical water oxidation necessary for solar fuel production. Molecular catalysts are known for their high activity and tunability, but their solubility and limited stability often restrict their use in practical applications. We are developing anchoring chemistry to attach molecular water-oxidation catalysts to metal oxide surfaces, which not only greatly increases the stability of the molecular catalyst but also improves the catalytic performance of the oxide material. Our progress on the development and characterization of molecular iridium, copper and manganese water-oxidation catalysts, along with their application for photoelectrochemical water oxidation and solar fuel production, will be discussed.