Fundamentals of photocatalytic water splitting at spinel oxide interfaces

Subproject P11

Obtaining mechanistic insights into photocatalytic processes in their natural aqueous environment is challenging since it is difficult to probe just the interfacial molecules in the presence of the bulk. Moreover, typical reaction timescales are very short, making high time resolution necessary.

The long-term objective of P11 is to unravel the reaction mechanism of photocatalytic processes in real-time directly at the water-catalyst interface, where the reaction is taking place. In the first project period, we focus on photocatalytic water splitting at iron spinel oxide interfaces. The project will benefit from high-quality and well-characterized spinel samples prepared by P04 Parkinson. We will use vibrational spectroscopy to probe only the interfacial molecules. In this way, we study the strength of hydrogen bonds and the orientation of the water molecules, i.e., how water binds to various spinel oxides. Subsequently, photodissociation will be initiated by a laser pulse mimicking sunlight. We will follow the reaction on sub-picosecond timescales by probing the water molecules and potential reaction intermediates and products. The collaboration with theoretical projects helps with data interpretation and fundamental insights into the reaction (P12 Dellago). The water structure and reaction dynamics will be linked to reported efficiencies of the photocatalysts to connect molecular-level details to high catalytic efficiency (P10 Föttinger).

Ellen Backus
PI

Expertise

Our expertise is ultrafast and nonlinear optical spectroscopy, predominantly in the infrared spectral region. We have two femtosecond amplifiers and several optical parametric amplifiers to convert the amplifier’s 800 nm output into other frequencies.

To study the solid-liquid interface, our focus in the TACO project, we will have two time-resolved sum-frequency generation setups, of which one is phase-resolved as well.

Team

Ellen Backus
PI

Harsharan Kaur
PostDoc

Moritz Zelenka
PhD Student

Associates

Martin Buessler
PhD Student

Former Members

Lukas Bogner
Master Student

Publications

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43 entries « 4 of 5 »

2019

Parallel Multistream Training of High-Dimensional Neural Network Potentials

Singraber, Andreas; Morawietz, Tobias; Behler, Jörg; Dellago, Christoph

Parallel Multistream Training of High-Dimensional Neural Network Potentials

Journal Article

In: Journal of Chemical Theory and Computation, vol. 15, no. 5, pp. 3075–3092, 2019.

Abstract | Links | BibTeX | Tags: P12, pre-TACO

How water flips at charged titanium dioxide: an SFG-study on the water–TiO2 interface

Schlegel, Simon J; Hosseinpour, Saman; Gebhard, Maximilian; Devi, Anjana; Bonn, Mischa; Backus, Ellen H. G.

How water flips at charged titanium dioxide: an SFG-study on the water–TiO2 interface

Journal ArticleOpen Access

In: Physical Chemistry Chemical Physics, vol. 21, no. 17, pp. 8956–8964, 2019.

Abstract | Links | BibTeX | Tags: P11, pre-TACO

Preface: Surface Science of functional oxides

Diebold, Ulrike; Rupprechter, Günther

Preface: Surface Science of functional oxides

Journal Article

In: Surface Science, vol. 681, pp. A1, 2019.

Links | BibTeX | Tags: P02, P08, pre-TACO

Library-Based LAMMPS Implementation of High-Dimensional Neural Network Potentials

Singraber, Andreas; Behler, Jörg; Dellago, Christoph

Library-Based LAMMPS Implementation of High-Dimensional Neural Network Potentials

Journal Article

In: Journal of Chemical Theory and Computation, vol. 15, no. 3, pp. 1827–1840, 2019.

Abstract | Links | BibTeX | Tags: P12, pre-TACO

Interplay between Adsorbates and Polarons: CO on Rutile TiO2(110)

Reticcioli, Michele; Sokolović, Igor; Schmid, Michael; Diebold, Ulrike; Setvin, Martin; Franchini, Cesare

Interplay between Adsorbates and Polarons: CO on Rutile TiO2(110)

Journal Article

In: Physical Review Letters, vol. 122, no. 1, pp. 016805, 2019.

Abstract | Links | BibTeX | Tags: P02, P07, pre-TACO

Ab initio thermodynamics of liquid and solid water

Cheng, Bingqing; Engel, Edgar A; Behler, Jörg; Dellago, Christoph; Ceriotti, Michele

Ab initio thermodynamics of liquid and solid water

Journal ArticleOpen Access

In: Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences, vol. 116, no. 4, pp. 1110–1115, 2019.

Abstract | Links | BibTeX | Tags: P12, pre-TACO

2018

Operando Insights into CO Oxidation on Cobalt Oxide Catalysts by NAP-XPS, FTIR, and XRD

Lukashuk, Liliana; Yigit, Nevzat; Rameshan, Raffael; Kolar, Elisabeth; Teschner, Detre; Hävecker, Michael; Knop-Gericke, Axel; Schlögl, Robert; Föttinger, Karin; Rupprechter, Günther

Operando Insights into CO Oxidation on Cobalt Oxide Catalysts by NAP-XPS, FTIR, and XRD

Journal ArticleOpen Access

In: ACS Catalysis, vol. 8, no. 9, pp. 8630–8641, 2018.

Abstract | Links | BibTeX | Tags: P08, P10, pre-TACO

2017

Polaron-Driven Surface Reconstructions

Reticcioli, Michele; Setvin, Martin; Hao, Xianfeng; Flauger, Peter; Kresse, Georg; Schmid, Michael; Diebold, Ulrike; Franchini, Cesare

Polaron-Driven Surface Reconstructions

Journal ArticleOpen Access

In: Physical Review X, vol. 7, no. 3, pp. 031053, 2017.

Abstract | Links | BibTeX | Tags: P02, P03, P07, pre-TACO

How Chemical Composition Alone Can Predict Vibrational Free Energies and Entropies of Solids

Legrain, Fleur; Carrete, Jesús; van Roekeghem, Ambroise; Curtarolo, Stefano; Mingo, Natalio

How Chemical Composition Alone Can Predict Vibrational Free Energies and Entropies of Solids

Journal Article

In: Chemistry of Materials, vol. 29, no. 15, pp. 6220–6227, 2017.

Abstract | Links | BibTeX | Tags: P09, pre-TACO

2016

Operando XAS and NAP-XPS studies of preferential CO oxidation on Co3O4 and CeO2-Co3O4 catalysts

Lukashuk, Liliana; Föttinger, Karin; Kolar, Elisabeth; Rameshan, Christoph; Teschner, Detre; Hävecker, Michael; Knop-Gericke, Axel; Yigit, Nevzat; Li, Hao; McDermott, Eamon; Stöger-Pollach, Michael; Rupprechter, Günther

Operando XAS and NAP-XPS studies of preferential CO oxidation on Co3O4 and CeO2-Co3O4 catalysts

Journal ArticleOpen Access

In: Journal of Catalysis, vol. 344, pp. 1–15, 2016.

Abstract | Links | BibTeX | Tags: P08, P10, pre-TACO

43 entries « 4 of 5 »