Engineering Nanocrystalline Photocatalysts for Energy and Environmental Applications

Nanoparticles and nanocrystals of semiconducting oxides constructed from nanoscale building blocks often possess unique and much improved properties. Such materials are promising in enabling innovative technologies for conversion and storage of renewable energies for the future. With current challenges in climate change and sustainable development, nanotechnology is especially exciting because it provides great opportunities for technological advances in areas of solar power, solar hydrogen production and storage.

This lecture presents latest developments in oxide nanomaterials such as titania as photocatalysts. Materials such as layered titania and single anatase crystals are photoactive materials promising for cheap and efficient solar cells, hydrogen production from water splitting and solar detoxification of water and air. Latest advances in bandgap engineering of TiO2 for visible light photocatalysis will be highlighted and discussed.