Utilization of Integrated Semiconductor-Electrocatalyst Systems for Small Molecule Activation and Phase Separation in Space Environments
Event details
| Date | 28.04.2023 |
| Hour | 11:00 › 12:00 |
| Speaker | Dr Katharina Brinkert is passionate about natural and artificial photosynthesis research since her school time, where she participated in several science competitions. She received her BSc degree in Chemistry from the University of Bielefeld, Germany, and her MSc degree in Chemistry for Renewable Energy from Uppsala University, Sweden. She carried out her master's degree project at the Center for Bioenergy and Photosynthesis at Arizona State University under the supervision of Prof. Devens Gust. Returning to Uppsala for her first year of PhD studies, she worked with Prof. Stenbjörn Styring and Prof. Leif Hammarström on proton-coupled electron transfer kinetics in nature's water-splitting enzyme, Photosystem II. She then moved to Imperial College London, where she continued investigating electron transfer pathways and their energetics in Photosystem II via spectroelectrochemistry, working with Prof. Bill Rutherford and Dr. Andrea Fantuzzi. Katharina received her Ph.D. from Imperial College London in 2015. Consecutively, Katharina received a Research Fellowship from the European Space Agency/the Advanced Concepts Team (ESTEC/Noordwijk) for an independent research project on solar hydrogen production in the microgravity environment. She continued her work in the area of artificial photosynthesis, specializing in photoelectrochemistry and photoelectrocatalysis for solar oxygen, fuel and chemical production in terrestrial and microgravity environments. Following her work at ESA, Katharina received a Leopoldina Postdoctoral Scholarship to work with Prof. Harry B. Gray at the California Institute of Technology, where she developed new electrocatalytic materials for electrochemical ammonia production. Since September 2019, Katharina is an Assistant Professor in Catalysis at Warwick where she does what she always wanted to do: artificial photosynthesis for solar-to-chemical energy conversion. Besides her passion for sciences, she enjoys sports, literature, film and theatre, music, philosophy and politics. |
| Location | |
| Category | Conferences - Seminars |
| Event Language | English |
Abstract : Efficient artificial photosynthesis systems are currently developed for photoelectrochemical (PEC) water oxidation while simultaneously recycling CO2 and generating hydrogen as a solar fuel for storable renewable energy. These systems comprise e.g., integrated semiconductor-electrocatalyst devices which offer several benefits such as high system tunability with respect to the electrocatalyst integration and a directly controllable electron flux for the electrocatalytic process through the adjustability of incoming irradiation. These characteristics could also represent a significant advantage for electrocatalytic dinitrogen reduction, although PEC devices remain little explored for this reaction. Due to their monolithic design, they are furthermore interesting for applications for space exploration, where weight and volume constraints for life support equipment predominate.
We will discuss recent developments in fabricating and designing integrated semiconductor-electrocatalyst systems for small molecule activation, in particular dinitrogen fixation and furthermore, possibilities for engineering the electrocatalyst surface for efficient oxygen and hydrogen evolution in reduced gravitational environments. Here, the near-absence of buoyancy traditionally hinders gas bubble desorption and causes severe reaction overpotentials. Utilising custom-tailored electrocatalyst nanostructures, we show that terrestrial efficiencies can be achieved for hydrogen production in microgravity environments, generated for 9.2 s at the Bremen Drop Tower.
We will discuss recent developments in fabricating and designing integrated semiconductor-electrocatalyst systems for small molecule activation, in particular dinitrogen fixation and furthermore, possibilities for engineering the electrocatalyst surface for efficient oxygen and hydrogen evolution in reduced gravitational environments. Here, the near-absence of buoyancy traditionally hinders gas bubble desorption and causes severe reaction overpotentials. Utilising custom-tailored electrocatalyst nanostructures, we show that terrestrial efficiencies can be achieved for hydrogen production in microgravity environments, generated for 9.2 s at the Bremen Drop Tower.
Practical information
- Informed public
- Free
- This event is internal
Organizer
- LRESE, Prof. Sophia Haussener
Contact
- Prof. Sophia Haussener