Researchers from the College of Science, including graduate students, have developed a material that shows a remarkable ability to convert sunlight and water into clean energy.
Led by Assistant Professor Kyriakos Stylianou, the researchers created a photocatalyst that enables the high-speed, high-efficiency production of hydrogen, used in fuel cells for cars as well as in the manufacture of many chemicals including ammonia, in the refining of metals and in making plastics.
The findings represent a potential new tool to use against greenhouse gas emissions and climate change, said Stylianou, whose research focuses on crystalline, porous materials known as metal organic frameworks, usually abbreviated as MOFs.
Made up of positively charged metal ions surrounded by organic “linker” molecules, MOFs have nanosized pores and tunable structural properties. They can be designed with a variety of components that determine the MOF’s properties.
In this study, researchers used a MOF to derive a metal oxide heterojunction – a combination of two materials with complementary properties – to make a catalyst that, when exposed to sunlight, quickly and efficiently splits water into hydrogen.
The heterojunction, which they refer to as RTTA, features MOF-derived ruthenium oxide and titanium oxide doped with sulfur and nitrogen. They tested multiple RTTAs with different amounts of the oxides and found a clear winner.
