Exploring a new material for solar powered applications

New, more efficient and durable materials for use in solar energy applications is the focus of Dr Chenghua Sun from UQ’s Australian Institute for Bioengineering and Nanotechnology.

Dr Sun was awarded a $70,000 UQ Foundation Research Excellence Award at a special ceremony at Customs House on Wednesday, September 22, as part of UQ’s annual Research Week.

Using sunlight to produce hydrogen from water is an ideal clean fuel, which has the potential to significantly reduce our dependence on fossil fuels and lower our associated green house gas emissions.

According to Dr Sun, the major challenge is that most materials currently employed for this purpose, known as photocatalysis, can only work under ultraviolet light and therefore are not very efficient, and are prone to rapid degradation and reduced durability.

“A stable and efficient photocatalytic material is important for the development of a hydrogen economy,” he said.

“I am interested in graphitic carbon nitides (C3N4) particularly its impressive ability to split water into hydrogen and oxygen, and its durability in sunlight.

“C3N4 is more efficient than current materials because it can adsorb light in the visible range and it can be easily doped to further improve its performance.

“It provides a totally new option for the design of advanced photocatalysts and my research will make an important contribution to understanding how the advantages of C3N4 might be harnessed for solar-hydrogen production.”

Using computer simulation, Dr Sun will conduct theoretical studies which will inform the synthesis of nanosheets in the laboratory.

“I will also describe the effect of dopants on the water-splitting performance of C3N4 and propose atomic models for water-splitting,” he said.

The UQ Foundation Research Excellence Awards have been running for 12 years and are an initiative of UQ to recognise outstanding performance and leadership potential in early career researchers.

This year’s awards totaled $910,000.

The UQ Research Excellence Award complements the Queensland Smart Futures Fellowship awarded to Dr Sun in 2009 and will enable him to strengthen his relationship with his collaborator Professor Hui Ming Cheng of the Chinese Academy of Sciences.

Media: Dr Chenghua Sun (07) 3346 3972 or Russell Griggs at the AIBN (3346 3989).