Multi-Functional Nanomaterial Group
Nanomaterials for sustainable energy production
Advances in sustainable technologies enabling access to clean water and renewable energy are a strategic key to underpin the global demand of social/industrial development in a carbon-neutral fashion. In this context, water plays a central role both for its vital importance for human activities and natural ecosystems, and as a largely available source for the production of hydrogen -the clean energy carrier of the future- via water splitting. In relation to the first issue, the removal of H2O contaminants is recognized as a new environmental emergency. As regards H2O splitting to H2, the current bottleneck is the oxygen evolution reaction (OER), with a high energy barrier and sluggish kinetics. To this regard, attractive options are offered by the use of abundant seawater, that would avoid a heavier strain on H2O demand, and by H2 production from pollutants-containing wastewaters, yielding a simultaneous H2O purification and energy generation. To activate these processes, the use of solar light, an inexhaustible energy source, holds a significant promise. Such actions, synergistically combining research & innovation within water-energy nexus, are critically dependent on the use of cheap, efficient and durable catalysts. The present research activities aim at the fabrication of innovative cost-effective nanostructures as improved (photo)electrocatalysts for the simultaneous H2O purification and H2O splitting to yield H2. Efforts are focused on the design and engineering of supported high surface area inorganic and hybrid systems, eventually decorated with oxidation (co)catalysts or functionalized with surface passivation layers. The nanoscale level morphology control and tailoring of material combinations will be pursued to investigate the technology feasibility for both OER, eventually from seawater, and the simultaneous H2 production and degradation of model H2O pollutants.
