New Concepts for Solar Energy Conversion

The sustainable production of clean fuels by carbon-neutral technologies is one of the key challenges of today‘s society and a major thrust of modern materials chemistry. A focal point of our research is the development of high-performance and environmentally benign photo- and electrocatalysts for water splitting, carbon dioxide reduction, and nitrogen fixation. Central to our efforts is the exploration of novel non-metal semiconductor photo- and electrocatalysts such as polymeric carbon nitrides and covalent organic frameworks, and the development of new concepts for photo(electro)catalysis. These include processes that make us independent of the intermittency of solar irradiation (“dark photocatalysis”), and the development of “solar batteries” capable of direct solar energy storage right in the absorber material.

© Image courtesy of Vera Hiendl (e-conversion)

 

Key Publications

Optoelectronics meets optoionics: Light storing carbon nitrides and beyond
F. Podjaski, B.V. Lotsch
Adv. Energy Mater. 2021, 11, 202003049. Article

Improving the picture of atomic structure in nonori ented polymer domains using the pair distribution function: A study of polyamide 6
M.W. Terban, A.M. Pütz, G. Savasci, U. Heinemeyer, B. Hinrichsen, P. Desbois, R.E. Dinnebier
J. Polym Sci. 2020, 58, 1843–1866. Article

Carbon nitride-based light-driven microswimmers with intrinsic photocharging ability
V. Sridhar, F. Podjaski, J. Kröger, A. Jiménez-Solano, B.-W. Park, B.V. Lotsch, M. Sitti
Proc. Natl. Acad. Sci. U.S.A. 2020, 117, 24748–24756. Article

Toward Standardized Photocatalytic Oxygen Evolution Rates Using RuO₂@TiO₂ as a Benchmark
H.A. Vignolo-González, S. Laha, A. Jiménez-Solano, T. Oshima, V. Duppel, P. Schützendübe, B.V. Lotsch
Matter 2020, 3, 464–486. Article

Rational Design of Covalent Cobaloxime-COF Hybrids for Enhanced Photocatalytic Hydrogen Evolution
K. Gottschling, G. Savasci, H.A. Vignolo-González, S. Schmidt, P. Mauker, T. Banerjee, P. Rovó, C. Ochsenfeld, B.V. Lotsch
J. Am. Chem. Soc. 2020, 142, 12146–12156. Article

Rational strain engineering in delafossite oxides for highly efficient hydrogen evolution catalysis in acidic media
F. Podjaski, D. Weber, S. Zhang, L. Diehl, R. Eger, V. Duppel, E. Alarcón-Lladó, G. Richter, F. Haase, A. Fontcuberta i Morral, C. Scheu, B.V. Lotsch
Nature Catalysis 2020, 3, 55–63. Article

Structural Insights into Poly(Heptazine Imides): A Light Storing Carbon Nitride Material for Dark Photocatalysis
H. Schlomberg, J. Kröger, G. Savasci, M.W. Terban, S. Bette, I. Moudrakovski, V. Duppel, F. Podjaski, R. Siegel, J. Senker, R.E. Dinnebier, C. Ochsenfeld, B.V. Lotsch
Chem. Mater. 2019, 31, 7478–7486. Article

Sustained Solar H₂ Evolution from a Thiazolo[5,4-d]thiazole-Bridged Covalent Organic Framework and Nickel-Thiolate Cluster in Water
B.P. Biswal, H.A. Vignolo-González, T. Banerjee, L. Grunenberg, G. Savasci, K. Gottschling, J. Nuss, C. Ochsenfeld, B.V. Lotsch
J. Am. Chem. Soc. 2019, 141, 11082–11092. Article

Ruthenium Oxide Nanosheets for Enhanced Oxygen Evolution Catalysis in Acidic Medium
S. Laha, Y. Lee, F. Podjaski, D. Weber, V. Duppel, L.M. Schoop, F. Pielnhofer, C. Scheurer, K. Müller, U. Starke, K. Reuter, B.V. Lotsch
Adv. Energy Mater. 2019, 9, 1803795. Article

Molecular insights into carbon dioxide sorption in hydrazone-based covalent organic frameworks with tertiary amine moieties
K. Gottschling, L. Stegbauer, G. Savasci, N.A. Prisco, Z.J. Berkson, C. Ochsenfeld, B.F. Chmelka, B.V. Lotsch
Chem. Mater. 2019, 31, 1946–1955. Article

Von der Jahrmarktattraktion zur Energiequelle: Kohlenstoffnitride
H. Schlomberg, F. Podjaski, J. Kröger, B.V. Lotsch
Nachr. Chem. 2018, 66, 1157–1161. Article

IrOOH nanosheets as acid stable electrocatalysts for the oxygen evolution reaction
D. Weber, L.M. Schoop, D. Wurmbrand, S. Laha, F. Podjaski, V. Duppel, K. Müller, U. Starke, B.V. Lotsch
J. Mater. Chem. A 2018, 6, 21558–21566. Article

Tailor-made Photoconductive Pyrene-based Covalent Organic Frameworks for Visible-Light Driven Hydrogen Generation
L. Stegbauer, S. Zech, G. Savasci, T. Banerjee, F. Podjaski, K. Schwinghammer, C. Ochsenfeld, B.V. Lotsch
Adv. Energy Mater. 2018, 8, 1703278. Article

Toward an Aqueous Solar Battery: Direct Electrochemical Storage of Solar Energy in Carbon Nitrides
F. Podjaski, J. Kröger, B.V. Lotsch
Adv. Mater. 2018, 30, 1705477. Article

Functional engineering of perovskite nanosheets: Impact of lead substitution on exfoliation in the solid solution RbCa_2-xPb_xNb₃O₁₀
C. Ziegler, T.K. Dennenwaldt, D. Weber, V. Duppel, C. Kamella, F. Podjaski, B. Tuffy, I. Moudrakovski, C. Scheu, B.V. Lotsch
Z. Anorg. Allg. Chem 2017, 643, 1668–1680. Article

Single site photocatalytic H₂ evolution from Covalent Organic Frameworks with molecular cobaloxime co-catalysts
T. Banerjee, F. Haase, G. Savasci, K. Gottschling, C. Ochsenfeld, B.V. Lotsch
J. Am. Chem. Soc. 2017, 139, 16228–16234. Article

Structure-property-activity relationships in a pyridine containing azine-linked covalent organic framework for photocatalytic hydrogen evolution
F. Haase, T. Banerjee, G. Savasci, C. Ochsenfeld, B.V. Lotsch
Faraday Discuss. 2017, 201, 247–264. Article

Photocatalytic oxidation of sulfinates to vinyl sulfones with cyanamide-functionalised carbon nitride
A.U. Meyer, V.W.-h. Lau, B. König, B.V. Lotsch
Eur. J. Org. Chem. 2017, 3, 2179–2185. Article

Urea-modified carbon nitrides: Enhancing photocatalytic hydrogen evolution by rational defect engineering
V.W.-h. Lau, V.W.-z. Yu, F. Ehrat, T. Botari, I. Moudrakovski, T. Simon, V. Duppel, E. Medina, J. Stolarczyk,
J. Feldmann, V. Blum, B.V. Lotsch
Adv. Energy Mater. 2017, 7, 1602251. Article

Dark photocatalysis: Storage of solar energy in carbon nitride for time-delayed hydrogen generation
V.W.-h. Lau, D. Klose, H. Kasap, F. Podjaski, M.-C. Pignié, E. Reisner, G. Jeschke, B.V. Lotsch
Angew. Chem. Int. Ed.  2017, 56, 510–514. Article

Soft photocatalysis: Organic polymers for solar fuel production
V. Vyas, V.W.-h. Lau, B.V. Lotsch
Chem. Mater. 2016, 28, 5191–5204. Article

Solar-driven reduction of aqueous protons coupled to selective alcohol oxidation with a carbon nitride - molecular Ni catalyst system
H. Kasap, C. Caputo, B. Martindale, R. Godin, V.W.-h. Lau, B.V. Lotsch*, J. Durrant*, E. Reisner*
J. Am. Chem. Soc. 2016, 138, 9183–9192. Article

Rational design of carbon nitride photocatalysts by identification of cyanamide defects as catalytically relevant sites
V.W.-h. Lau, I. Moudrakovski, T. Botari, S. Weinberger, M.B. Mesch, V. Duppel, J. Senker, V. Blum, B.V. Lotsch
Nat. Commun. 2016, 7, 12165. Article

Phenyl-triazine oligomers for light-driven hydrogen evolution
K. Schwinghammer, S. Hug, M.B. Mesch, J. Senker, B.V. Lotsch
Energy Environ. Sci. 2015, 8, 3345–3353. Article

Low molecular-weight carbon nitrides for solar hydrogen evolution
V.W.-H. Lau, M.B. Mesch, V. Duppel, V. Blum J. Senker, B.V.  Lotsch
J. Am. Chem. Soc. 2015, 137, 1064–1072. Article