Nanoarchitectural design of semiconductor materials for sustainable energy applications

• Main Author: Miao, Jianwei
• Other Authors: Liu Bin
• Format: Theses and Dissertations
• Language: English
• Published: 2016
• Subjects: DRNTU::Engineering::Materials::Energy materials; DRNTU::Engineering::Materials::Nanostructured materials; DRNTU::Engineering::Mechanical engineering::Alternative, renewable energy sources; DRNTU::Engineering::Nanotechnology
• Online Access: https://hdl.handle.net/10356/65971
• Institution: Nanyang Technological University

The huge engine of our modern global economy is primarily powered by the fossil fuels. However, fossil fuels are exhaustible, and their combustion will lead to severe environment problems, such as global warming. Under the circumstances, it’s our duty to develop alternative and sustainable energy resources that can ease the worsening crisis. Looking up into the sky, the radiation we received from the Sun has been supporting the evolution of ecological systems for more than three billions years. Artificial conversion of the solar energy into chemical fuels, mimicking what the Mother Nature does, has attracted tremendous attentions over the past few decades. Among the many systems that have been proposed, solar water splitting for hydrogen production is the most attractive one. The overall objectives of this interdisciplinary research program are to design the architectures of semiconductor-based photocatalytic materials and electrocatalysts at nanoscale, to construct a stable photoelectrolysis cell for unassisted visible light solar water splitting and to fabricate efficient electrochemical hydrogen-evolving electrodes that can be applied in practical applications.