Chemistry Guest Seminar: Prof. Dr. Michael Wark

 

Photocatalytic acive titanates, tantalates and ferrites have been synthesized by sol-gel routes, sonochemistry and electrochemical deposition. Depending on the synthesis conditions, for example the presence of organic structure-directors, either pure compounds with tailored stoichiometries or nanocomposites are formed.

The talk will discuss the effects of different stoichiometries or compositions of nanocomposites on efficiency of reactions being of importance in solar water splitting. Moreover effects of co-catalyst deposition and doping will be tackeled.

To separate hydrogen from oxygen in such photoelectrochemical cells as well as for PEM fuel cells, membranes with high proton conductivity are needed. We could demonstrate that SO3H-functionalized ordered mesoporous Si-MCM-41 as well as MOFs with protic ionic liquids in their pores offer the necessary high proton conductivity as additives in polymer membranes.