Abstract:
Photocatalytic CO2 conversion to hydrocarbon fuels, the so-called artificial photosynthesis or solar fuels, making possible simultaneous solar energy harvesting and CO2 reduction reaction (CO2RR), is considered a killing two birds with one stone approach to solving the energy and environmental problems. However, the development of solar fuels has been hampered by the low photon-to-fuel conversion efficiency of the photocatalysts and lack of the product selectivity. Here, I would like to present recent progress in developing two-dimensional (2D) nanomaterials for CO2RR application. Criteria in the choice of materials and the scientific issues regarding the interface physics and chemistry (e.g., the interaction of light with semiconductor and gaseous species) involved in the process of CO2RR will be addressed. Notably, defect engineering (interstitial, substitutional, and vacancy) in 2D chalcogenides was found to be a viable method towards promising photocatalysts for CO2RR. Two cases will be illustrated: the carbon-doped SnS2 nanosheets and single/few-layer MoS2 with vacancies controlled by plasma treatment. The role and interplay of the defects and the hosting 2D materials as well as their effects on CO2RR will be presented.
Brief Bio:
Dr. Li-Chyong Chen is currently a Distinguished Research Fellow at the Center for Condensed Matter Sciences (CCMS) in National Taiwan University (NTU). She received her B.S. in Physics from NTU (1981), and Ph.D. in Applied Physics from Harvard University (1989); afterwards, she worked at the Materials Research Center in General Electric Corporate R&D, Schenectady, New York (1989–1994), before she joined the CCMS, NTU. Li-Chyong’s group is specialized in low-dimensional nanomaterials and their applications for optoelectronics, energy and sensing. Till date she has 14 patents, 15 book chapters/review articles and over 390 papers, with a total citations over 14,050 and an H-index of 62 by WOS.
Selective honors Li-Chyong has received are: an Honorary Doctorate from Linköping University in Sweden, an outstanding alumnus of her alma mater in NTU, and she is also elected as a Fellow of the Physical Society of Taiwan (TPS), Taiwan Vacuum Society and the Materials Research Society (MRS) in USA. Li-Chyong received twice the Ministry of Science and Technology Outstanding Research Award (2007, 2010), Laureate of the 22nd Khwarizmi International Award, Iran (2009), Outstanding Scholar Foundation Award (2010), Ho Chin-Tui Outstanding Scholar Award in Materials Science (2012), Acharya Vinova International Award in Materials Science and Technology (2013), Academician of Asia Pacific Academy of Materials (2015), Taiwan Outstanding Women in Science (2017) and most recently, the Ministry of Education Academic Award (2018). Finally, Li-Chyong has actively served the professional communities, such as the Vice President of the TPS (2006-2007), Meeting Chair of the MRS-Fall (2009), Editor of Book Series in Nanoscience and Nanotechnology, World Scientific Publishers (since 2015), MRS Board of Directors (2017-2019), the Commission on Structure and Dynamics of Condensed Matter, International Union of Pure Applied Physics (2017-2020), and Board of Trustees of the National Synchrotron Radiation Research Center in Taiwan (since 2018).