Executive Summary : | The motivation of the project is to develop alternate approaches for the synthesis of metal based nanoclusters & nanostructures and their precise loading 2D materials to investigate their photocatalytic and electrocatalytic properties and to establish factors influencing the efficiency of catalysis. This methodology may be expanded to obtaining other electrocatalysts and photocatalysts with increased activity. Importance of the proposed project in the context of current status In this work, the applicant will load a series of metal nanoclusters and nanoparticles with precisely controlled chemical compositions and a particle size on 2d materials to find photocatalysts and electrocatalysts using the precise metal nanoclusters/nanoparticles as precursors. The correlation between the chemical composition of 2D materials and the loaded metal nanoclusters/nanoparticles and effects of the electronic/geometric structure will be study. Development of nano-architectures and its loading on 2D surface The synthesis methodology of this work will be divided into three categories. a) Precise synthesis of nanoclusters and nanostructures of small particle size b) Precise synthesis of alloy clusters and nanostructures with substitution of other metal such as Pd, Ag, or Cu, Fe, Co c) Precise loading of ultrasmall nanoclusters and nanoparticles onto 2D materials to activate water-splitting photocatalysts and electrocatalysts Water splitting for hydrogen evolution The photocatalysis of synthesized materials will carried out with help of photocatalytic setup along UV by standard techniques. With help of PEC technique, onset potential, electron transfer resistance, solar-to-fuels efficiency, turnover frequencies (TOF) and solar to hydrogen conversion efficiency (sTH) will be obtained and it will compared with other well-known reported heterostructures. The efficient photoelectrodes can design by proper choice of materials with precise morphology, size, and directional growth and amount of loading on the basis of interfaces and charge transfer processes. The chemical energy conversion factor can be determined and other catalysis can be carried out. Expected outcome results and effects In water-splitting photocatalysts and electrocatalysts research, efforts to increase activity have been mainly expended by specialized researchers. strong knowledge has been accumulated of how to use solar energy efficiently with increase reaction efficiency due to these efforts. However, further improvements are required to use water-splitting photocatalysts and electrocatalysts to generate hydrogen in commercial applications. The proposed work will increase the activity and decrease the cost of photocatalysts and electrocatalysts simultaneously. |