SURFACE ENGINEERING OF HETEROGENEOUS CATALYSTS FOR ENERGY AND ENVIRONMENTAL APPLICATIONS

Abstract

Heterogeneous photocatalysts and electrocatalysts play pivotal roles in the pursuit of energy and environmental sustainability. From the generation of H2 fuels by using renewable solar sources, to the efficient energy conversion in battery systems, and the photocatalytic purification of water, a diverse range of heterogeneous catalysts have played key parts in bringing more secure supply and efficient use of resources. For heterogeneous catalysts, the surface properties exert several critical impacts on the catalytic performance. Herein, a series of surface engineering strategies were employed to design and develop heterogeneous catalyst materials - including engineering the defects, enlarging the surface area, and tuning the size and distribution of the surfacing decorating active centres - to achieve enhanced performance in several targeted catalytic reactions in the energy and environmental field. Moreover, the mechanisms behind the observed phenomena are investigated to establish correlations between the performance and the structure of the materials.