Collaborative Research: Dye Molecule-Anchored Platinum Nanocatalysts

合作研究：染料分子锚定铂纳米催化剂

• 批准号: 1436674
• 负责人: Elena Galoppini
• 金额: $ 24.71万
• 依托单位: Rutgers University Newark
• 依托单位国家: 美国
• 项目类别: Standard Grant
• 财政年份: 2014
• 资助国家: 美国
• 起止时间: 2014-09-01 至 2018-08-31
• 项目状态: 已结题
• 来源: https://www.nsf.gov/awardsearch/showAward?AWD_ID=1436674&HistoricalAwards=false
• 关键词: Collaborative; Research; Dye; Molecule; Anchored

Collaborative Research: Dye Molecule-Anchored Platinum NanocatalystsOne of the most intensely studied systems for low-cost solar energy conversion is the dye-sensitized solar cell (DSSC), in which a dye molecule attached to a nanoparticulate semiconductor absorbs sunlight and injects an electron into the semiconductor. The electron can be extracted and used for electrical power, but before the dye can repeat the cycle, its electron must be replaced by reaction with a dissolved redox couple. One option for this redox couple combines iodide and triiodide ions, both of which are extremely cheap and abundant. The iodide/triiodide couple is nearly ideal for this purpose but for one problem: electrons lose a significant amount of energy while transferring from these ions to the dye. This project aims to reduce that energy loss by positioning a nano-sized catalyst precisely at the site where the dye reacts with the iodide/triiodide. The award is for a collaboration between Prof. Alexander G. Agrios at the University of Connecticut, providing expertise in nanoparticle synthesis and DSSC device fabrication and measurement, and Prof. Elena Galoppini at Rutgers University?Newark, for the synthesis expertise, and is derived from a previous EAGER award to the investigators. The work has the potential to increase the solar power conversion efficiency of the DSSC by as much as 50% while retaining the cheap redox couple. In addition, the concept of tethering catalytic metal nanoparticles directly to the site of an electrochemical reaction using molecular design can be applied to other kinds of renewable energy projects, such as photocatalytic systems. The research will be coupled to outreach efforts in which solar cells will be used as a teaching tool in K?12 education to explain concepts of chemistry, engineering and energy and to excite and inspire the next generation of STEM students and researchers. These activities will target underrepresented groups including high-school students from the Newark urban area, also through the ACS project SEED program. This project makes use of specially made dye molecules with two different attachment groups on opposite sides of the molecule. One group (a carboxylic acid) attaches to the surface of metal oxides such as titanium dioxide (TiO2). The other group (a thiolane) attaches to certain metals, and will be used here to anchor platinum nanoparticles (Pt NPs). The project has three main intellectual components. First, fabricating the TiO2-dye-catalyst assembly will require (a) preparing the desired Pt NPs, (b) synthesizing the specialized dye molecule, and (c) assembling the components to give the desired structure. Second, groups capable of ?molecular rectification? will be incorporated into the dye at its point of connection to the Pt NP to ensure that electrons transfer from the Pt NP to the dye, as desired, and not in the reverse direction, which would short-circuit the device and reduce its solar power conversion efficiency. Third, electron energy levels in the dye molecule will be tuned by structural modification to the values that will give rapid electron transfer in the desired direction with minimal energy loss.

合作研究：染料分子锚定的铂纳米催化剂的低成本太阳能转换系统是染料敏化的太阳能电池（DSSC），其中染料分子连接到纳米型半导体吸收的纳米型半导体吸收日光下，并注入了semicts andects antectectoctors AnsiciceContoctor。可以提取电子并用于电力，但是在染料重复周期之前，必须将其电子用溶解的氧化还原夫妇反应代替。这对氧化还原夫妇的一种选择结合了碘化物和三碘化离子，这两种离子非常便宜且丰富。碘化物/三碘化夫妇几乎是理想的目的，但对于一个问题：电子从这些离子转移到染料时会损失大量能量。该项目旨在通过将纳米尺寸的催化剂定位在染料与碘化物/三碘化物反应的位点上，以减少能源损失。该奖项是为康涅狄格大学亚历山大·G·阿格里奥斯（Alexander G. Agrios）教授之间的合作，在纳米颗粒合成和DSSC设备的制造和测量中提供专业知识，以及罗格斯大学的Elena Galoppini教授，纽瓦克（Newark）？这项工作有可能使DSSC的太阳能转换效率提高多达50％，同时保留廉价的氧化还原夫妇。此外，可以将催化金属纳米颗粒直接用于使用分子设计的电化学反应部位的概念，可应用于其他类型的可再生能源项目，例如光催化系统。这项研究将与外展工作相结合，其中太阳能电池将用作K？12教育中的教学工具来解释化学，工程和能源的概念，并激发和激发和激发下一代STEM学生和研究人员。这些活动将针对代表性不足的团体，包括来自纽瓦克市区的高中生，也是通过ACS项目种子计划。该项目利用了分子相对两侧的两个不同附着组的特殊染料分子。一组（一组羧酸）附着在金属氧化物的表面，例如二氧化钛（TiO2）。另一组（一个硫代）附着在某些金属上，并将在此使用以锚定铂纳米颗粒（PT NP）。该项目具有三个主要的智力组成部分。首先，制造TiO2-DYE - 催化剂组件将需要（a）准备所需的PT NP，（b）合成专用的染料分子，以及（c）组装组件以提供所需的结构。第二，能够分子整流的组？将在与PT NP的连接点中掺入染料中，以确保根据需要将电子从PT NP转移到染料，而不是在反向方向上转移，这将使设备短路并降低其太阳能转换效率。第三，染料分子中的电子能级将通过结构修改调整为将在所需方向上以最小的能量损失而在所需方向上快速的电子转移的值调整。