Flexible Polymer Electrodes for Photoelectrochemical Cells
We are developing polymer-based soft electrodes that incorporate necessary components to generate storable fuels in the presence of sunlight. The flexible porous electrodes are made hydrophilic, electrically conductive, transparent and chemically modifiable for integration of light absorption, charge transport and catalytic functions for solar driven chemical transformations.
Redox Hydrogel Networks for Catalytic Applications
In exploration of transparent, conductive and porous polymer networks, we are developing hydrogel electrodes having redox couples that are bound to the cross-linked polymer network through covalent and coordinative bonds. The redox hydrogels being developed conduct electrons by self-exchange of charges between rapidly reduced or oxidized redox centers. The high transparency and conductivity of the porous materials enable them a wide range of applications including using as semi-conductive substrates in photoelectrochemical cells.
Single Atom Catalysis Supported by Polymer Networks
The subgroup develops polymer supported single atom catalysts by applying self-assembly strategies coupled with dynamic coordination methods that fine tune all functional aspects of catalytic systems. In the materials, the conductive polymer networks electrically wire catalytic reaction centers to charge suppliers, and accommodate structural changes of catalytic intermediates generated during CO2 /O2 reduction, water splitting and ammonia synthesis.
Photoresponsive Polymer-Sensitized Solar Fuel Devices
When applied as photosensitizers, conjugated polymers exhibit advantages over small molecular counterparts in their soft-matter nature, superior electrical conductivity, facile structural variability and low energy requirements for device integration. In this subgroup, we are investigating conjugated polymers owning excited states appropriate for driving photoelctrocatalytic reactions when coupled with nanoporous framework catalysts .