Photophysics and Photoelectrochemistry of Hybrid Materials for Emerging Energy Materials

Abstract

Our group’s research interests involve the material design, synthesis, processing, imaging, spectroscopy and solar energy application, aiming to explore fundamental properties and interactions of organic and inorganic materials for developing efficient solar energy conversion processes. Our research directions focus on photoinduced charge transfer processes, interfacial electron transfer, electrochemical hydrogen generation, and photoredox reactions for electricity generation, solar fuel production, wastewater treatment as well as food waste management. The investigations between material phenomena rely heavily on concepts of energy and environmental engineering, consisting of photophysics, electrochemistry, photoelectrochemistry by utilizing scanning photoelectrochemical microscopy (SECM) imaging, ultrafast transient absorption (TA), time-resolved photoluminescence spectra (TRPL) and so forth. My talk will cover topics ranging from energy engineering (solar fuels, photovoltaics and optoelectronic devices) to environmental engineering (wastewater treatment, food waste treatment) as well as from material design (organometallics, alloy, bio-materials, nanomaterials, perovskites, and metallopolymers) to photoelectrochemistry (photophysics, photochemistry, and electrochemistry).


References

1. Tang, Y., Mak, C. H., Wang, C., Fu, Y., Li, F., Jia, G., Hsieh, C. et al. ‘Bandgap Funneling in Bismuth-Based Hybrid Perovskite Photocatalyst with Efficient Visible-Light-Driven Hydrogen Evolution’ Small Methods, 2022, 2200326.
2. Tang, Y., Mak, C. H., Jia, G., Cheng, K., Kai, J., Hsieh, C., Meng, F. et al. ‘Lead-free hybrid perovskite photocatalysts: surface engineering, charge-carrier behaviors, and solar-driven applications’ Journal of Materials Chemistry A, 2022, 10 (23), 12296-12316.
3. Yu, A., Ma, G., Zhu, L., Zhang, R., Li, Y., Yang, S., Hsu, H. et al. ‘Conversion of CO2 to defective porous carbons in one electro-redox cycle for boosting electrocatalytic H2O2 production’ Applied Catalysis B: Environmental, 2022, 307, 121161.

Biography

Dr. Sam H. Y. Hsu obtained his PhD degree under supervision of Prof. Kirk S. SCHANZE at University of Florida with focusing on photophysical behaviors of functional metallopolymer materials for solar energy and optoelectronic applications. After that, he received the two-year postdoctoral and research associate’s appointments respectively with Prof. Allen J. BARD and Prof. Edward T. YU in Center for Electrochemistry as well as Department of Electrical and Computer Engineering at University of Texas at Austin. During the period of his postdoc and research associate, he completed many outstanding multidisciplinary projects. The area of his expertise stretches from material design to new related disciplines involving material characterization and diverse applications, such as solar fuels, organic and inorganic photovoltaic cells, wastewater treatment and food waste management.