Grant: Strategic Projects - Group

The principle is well known of using sunlight to split water molecules to yield hydrogen gas through water reduction. However, practical applications are still a long way to go, requiring major research effort. The main challenge is the development of cheap photosensitizers and catalysts. In this project, we propose to investigate the use of rationally designed inexpensive polymers to enable the exploitation of hydrophobic photosensitizers in aqueous media and to enhance the efficiency of photoinduced water reduction to hydrogen. We will study block copolymers and hydrophobically modified polymers whose micelles can encapsulate photosensitizers and favor the photoinduced electron transfer processes. This polymer-based novel concept may help searching for cheap and effective photosensitizers and contribute to the important field of converting solar energy to the clean hydrogen fuel.