2017/11/13 I²CNER Seminar Sequence : Prof. Leif Hammarström
[Title] Molecular and Biomimetic Approaches to Artificial Photosynthesis
[Speaker] Prof. Leif Hammarström
Department of Chemistry
Uppsala University
Sweden
[Date & Time] Monday, November13, 2017 4:00 p.m.
[Place] I²CNER Hall, Ito campus, Kyushu University
[Abstract] The Swedish Consortium for Artificial Photosynthesis (CAP) is based on cross-disciplinary collaborations. Our fundamental science has the long-term goal to develop both photochemical and photobiological systems for solar fuel production. Biomimetic and molecular approaches are important in our efforts. I will first discuss the background and need for solar fuels, as well as different scientific and technical approaches. Then I will discuss the rationale for developing molecular catalysts, which offer a potentially high activity and selectivity for solar fuels production. They have a small size, comparable to the size of the substrates water and carbon dioxide. Their properties can also be tuned to a great extent by design, and the active sites of enzymes are great examples. I will give examples of how we can tune the catalyst reactions /via/ proton-coupled electron transfer, steric and electronic effects, as well as indicate strategies for stabilization. Rational design of catalysts requires mechanistic understanding beyond overall performance measurements and benchmarking. By time-resolved laser spectroscopy we have identified reaction intermediates and determined their rates of interconversion, both in homogeneous solution and as attached to photoelectrodes.
No Comments