PAIR Seminar: Prof. Markus ANTONIETTI of Max Planck Institute of Colloids and Interfaces, Germany, delivers “New Modifications of Carbon Nitrides and Their Use in Artificial Photosynthesis and Photoelectrochemistry”

Abstract

Graphitic Carbon Nitride is potentially the simplest and most practical semiconducting organic materials. This is due to the ease of synthesis, but also due to its extreme chemical and thermal stability. Made from urea, as reported already by Justus Liebig in 1832, it just recently turned out to be a novel photocatalyst which- among many other reactions- can photochemically reduce CO2 or turn water into hydrogen and oxygen, or more valuable compounds. Current apparent quantum yields partly exceed 0.85, i.e. the transduction from light energy to chemical energy is ready for the real world.

I will report recent improvements of highly crystalline ionic Carbon Nitrides and have VB edges down to +2.7 Volt. This accesses not only a cocatalyst-free full artificial photosynthesis, but also a new deep oxidation chemistry realizing a number of dream reactions that could previously be not performed.

If time allows, I will also talk about photochemical pumps with Carbon Nitride nanostructures and the further integration into photo electrochemistry.

Online registration will be closed 24 hours prior to the event