Welcome to our blog about the World of graduate affairs

Arya Hakimian - MSc Oral Examination

Author: kyle

Posted on May 21, 2018

Category: Thesis Corner


Arya Hakimian

A Green Chemistry Approach to the Synthesis of Zinc Oxide Photocatalysts Using Bipolar Electrochemistry

  • Date: May 22, 2018
  • Time: 1:00pm
  • Location: Toole Hall, 303

Abstract

The demand for sustainable and efficient clean energy alternatives have become increasingly apparent in recent years due to the adverse environmental and economic effects incurred by climate change. Solar thermal renewable technologies in the form of solar cells are among some of the most researched in this field. The photoactive material found in inorganic based solar cells are generally comprised of metal oxides, which have excellent photoelectrochemical and optical properties. Among these metal oxides, ZnO has been shown to be an excellent photoactive material, however traditional synthesis routes suffer from the generation of byproducts and in some cases large amounts of secondary waste, all of which present an adverse effect on the environment. Herein, we report the use of bipolar electrochemistry to generate ZnO nanoparticles using simply deionized water and a zinc metal plate. Morphological examination was carried out using both SEM and TEM imaging and material properties were characterized by EDX, XRD, XPS and UV-VIS DRS. Analysis of the synthesized materials indicated a defective ZnO structure, resulting in increased levels of absorption in the visible region when compared to a commercial reference. Photoelectrochemical analysis was performed on both the synthesized and commercial samples and it was observed that the synthesized samples resulted in increased levels of photocatalytic activity which was ascribed primarily to the defective structure, but also the varying morphologies obtained. Overall, the work in this research offers not only an eco-friendlier synthesis route, but also a superior performing photoactive material compared to classically prepared ZnO.