12.02 Photoelectrochemical CO2 reduction with tailored nanostructured metal/semiconductor electrodes (CO2-NanoCat)
In this project, we combine the development of nanoimprint technology towards smaller sizes as well as tailored plasmonic properties with studies on photoelectrochemical CO2 reduction. The project thus aims at making contributions to current challenges in nanotechnology and fundamental aspects of artificial photosynthesis. Nanoimprint procedures will be developed allowing for the fabrication of regular and well defined metal arrays with feature sizes beyond the current state of the art or with sharp edges and small structure distances on semiconductor substrates. The latter are designed for maximum plasmonic field enhancement and procedures are optimized for easy plasmon resonance frequency adjustment. The arrays extend over macroscopic dimensions and shall be used in electrochemical studies on CO2 reduction. Here, fundamental properties of the semiconductor| metal nanostructure|electrolyte interface will be examined. In particular, two so far unconsidered physical effects will be investigated: (1) The coupling of plasmonic excitations to molecular vibrations, and its impact on the reactivity and selectivity of the system; (2) The enhancement of reaction rates on the nanoscale by molecular fluctuations. Furthermore, our studies include an experimental survey of structure size and other parameters on the efficiency and selectivity of the reaction, and simulations of the interface with a continuum approach. The project thus has the potential to advance future device fabrication processes and to elucidate novel reaction paths for efficient CO2 reduction.
Team
Project team leader
PD Dr. Werner Schindler
Nonequilibrium Chemical Physics
Dr. Omobosede O. Fashedemi
Chemical Physics Beyond Equilibrium
Doctoral Researcher
Simon Filser
Chemical Physics Beyond Equilibrium
Doctoral Researcher
Matthias Golibrzuch
Chair of Nanoelectronics
Doctoral Researcher
Thomas L. Maier
Chemical Physics Beyond Equilibrium
Doctoral Researcher
Simon Mendisch
Chair of Nanoelectronics
Principal Investigator
Professor Katharina Krischer
Chemical Physics Beyond Equilibrium
Principal Investigator
Professor Markus Becherer
Chair of Nanoelectronics