Designing a Photo-electro-catalysis System for Selective Organic Oxidation

R&D Focus Areas:
Direct hydrogen carrier production, Photochemical and photocatalytic processes, materials modelling.

Lead Organisation:
University of New South Wales (Sydney)

Partners:
Not applicable

Status:
Active

Start date:
February 2021

Completion date:
Estimated January 2024

Key contacts:
Associate Professor Jason Scott: jason.scott@unsw.edu.au

Funding: AUD$521,000 – Australian Research Council (Discovery Project)

Project total cost:
AUD$1.258 million – combined cash and in-kind contributions

Project summary description:
The research aims to establish new composite materials to enable realisation of next generation organic electrolysers for renewable hydrogen production. Water electrolysis is seen as the front-running technology in Australia’s drive to be a renewable hydrogen exporter. Significant opportunity exists in adopting organic electrolysis as an alternative with additional benefits, including lower energy input and value-added chemical production (alongside H2), off-setting costs. Challenges exist with controlling organic product selectivity and restricting carbon dioxide generation. The project intends to deliver a system which uses complementary phenomena (light activation, controllable polarity, magnetic response) to resolve said challenges.

The project aims to establish a photoanode capable of concurrently harnessing multiple dynamic system inputs – light, electric field and magnetic field – to selectively oxidise organics for producing value added chemicals in tandem with renewable hydrogen production.

Related publications and key links:
Not applicable

Higher degree studies supported:
Three PhD students based at University of New South Wales (Sydney)

 

Reviewed: April 2023