Photo-electrocatalysts via atomic layer deposition on covalent organic frameworks

Project ID: 2228cd1382 (You will need this ID for your application)

Research Theme: Energy and Decarbonisation

UCL Lead department: Chemistry

Project Summary:

This project uses a combination of atomic layer deposition (ALD) and two-dimensional covalent organic frameworks (2D-COF) to generate single atom Pt catalysts for photoelectrochemical (PEC) water splitting. PEC water splitting using solar power is a primary target for generation of low-carbon hydrogen. However, slow kinetics for hydrogen evolution and oxygen evolution reactions (HER and OER) at PEC electrode surfaces leads to low efficiency and limits the commercial viability. Pt nanoparticles have been employed as co-catalysts the HER. A key research aim is to reduce the size of Pt nanoparticles, with the eventual aim of producing single atom catalysts (SACs).
2D-COFs are crystalline and porous molecular frameworks consisting of small molecules linked via covalent bonds into 2D sheets. 2D-COFs can be easily grown as thin films on solid surfaces, and they can show immense variety in their structure and chemistry. This flexibility and variety make them ideal candidates for functional surface coatings. Atomic Layer Deposition (ALD) uses metal-organic precursor molecules that bond to reactive surface sites to deposit single atomic metallic layers on surfaces. We aim to grow 2D-COF thin films on graphite surfaces with well-defined arrangements of reactive sites. These films will be used as templates to control deposition of Pt with the aim of producing single atom catalysts. Catalytic surfaces will then be characterised with a combination of surface spectroscopy, scanning probe microscopy (SPM) and electrochemical techniques to observe how Pt bonds to the 2D-COF and how this impacts performance for PEC water splitting. You will be working in the research groups of r Matthew Blunt and Prof Chris Blackman. As part of the project, you will gain skills in ALD; growth of 2D-COF thin films; surface characterisation using SPM; X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy (XPS); and photo-electrochemical testing of the materials.