Sunlight generates green hydrogen
Scalable and efficient solar-driven hydrogen production is critical to achieving the goals of the European Green Deal. Photoelectrochemical (PEC) and photocatalytic (PC) water splitting offer a promising avenue but face two major bottlenecks: rapid recombination of photogenerated charge carriers and structural transformation of the photoactive catalyst. To address these challenges, we apply various strategies (e.g., band gap engineering, surface passivation, etc.) in our research lab. In particular, we develop oxides and (oxy)nitrides as photocatalysts for PEC oxygen evolution reaction (OER), which is the bottleneck in overall water splitting. Their electronic and optical properties are tailored through doping, vacancies, anion ordering, and dimensionality control. To elucidate the underlying mechanisms behind the transformation of photoelectrodes and enhanced PEC OER performance, we perform ex-situ, in-situ, and operando studies using techniques such as Raman spectroscopy, X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy, and X-ray absorption spectroscopy, complemented by density functional theory (DFT) calculations. By simultaneously tackling charge recombination and catalyst instability, our research advances photocatalyst design and paves the way for next-generation solar hydrogen technologies.
Relevant Publications
[1] M. Hojamberdiev, R. Vargas, Z.C. Kadirova, H. Sena, A. Krasnov, K. Teshima, and M. Lerch, Unfolding the Role of B-Site-Selective Doping of Aliovalent Cations on Enhancing Sacrificial Visible-Light-Induced Photocatalytic H2 and O2 Evolution over BaTaO2N, ACS Catalysis, 2022, 12, 1403–1414.
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[2] M. Hojamberdiev, M. Mansoob Khan, Z. Kadirova, K. Kawashima, K. Yubuta, K. Teshima, R. Riedel, and M. Hasegawa, Synergistic effect of g-C3N4, Ni(OH)2 and halloysite in nanocomposite photocatalyst on efficient photocatalytic hydrogen generation, Renewable Energy, 2019, 138, 434–444.
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[3] M. Hojamberdiev, M.F. Bekheet, J.N. Hart, J. J. M. Vequizo, A. Yamakata, K. Yubuta, A. Gurlo, M. Hasegawa, K. Domen and K. Teshima, Elucidating the Impact of A-Site Cation Change on Photocatalytic H2 and O2 Evolution Activities of Perovskite-Type LnTaON2 (Ln = La and Pr), Physical Chemistry and Chemical Physics, 2017, 19, 22210–22220.
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[4] M. Hojamberdiev, E. Zahedi, E. Nurlaela, K. Kawashima, K. Yubuta, M. Nakayama, H. Wagata, T. Minegishi, K. Domen and K. Teshima, The Cross-Substitution Effect of Tantalum on Visible-Light-Driven Water Oxidation Activity of BaNbO2N Crystals Grown Directly by an NH3-Assisted Flux Method, Journal of Materials Chemistry A, 2016, 4, 12807–12817.
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