QIU GROUP SF STATE
Research Projects
(Photo)electrocatalysis and Renewable Energy
Water splitting via electrolysis and photoelectrochemical approaches is a green way to produce hydrogen gas. Our group primarily focuses on the anodic reaction of water splitting, including the oxygen evolution reaction (OER) and the alternative alcohol oxidation reaction in alkaline electrolytes. Additionally, we also study the interface of photocathode and electrocatalyst in the cathodic reaction of water splitting via collaboration. Aiming at understanding the interfacial properties between the electrodes, electrocatalysts and electrolytes, we adopt (photo)electrochemical, spectroscopic and computational approaches to resolve the scientific questions regarding these interfaces.
Plasmon-assisted electrocatalytic
water oxidation
We focus on investigating the interface of plasmonic gold nanostructured electrodes and first-row transition metal oxide/hydroxide in electrocatalytic water oxidation reaction. The scientific questions that we are trying to answer are what is the role of gold on the OER electrocatalysts in assisting the water oxidation reaction both in the dark and under the plasmonic excitation. We collaborate with Dr. Nicole Adelstein at SF State to perform the computation work to understand the electronic structures of the interface.
Electrochemical oxidation of alcohols
We focus on the interface of metal electrodes (including noble metals such as gold and transition metals such as nickel) and alcohol molecules in the electrochemical oxidation reactions. The scientific questions we are trying to answer are what are the impacts of the electronic substituent effects of the alcohol molecules and the interactions between alcohol molecules and metal electrodes on the electrochemical oxidation of alcohol molecules. We collaborate with Dr. Marc Anderson at SF State to analyze the reaction products of electrochemical oxidation of alcohol molecules.
We focus on the interfaces of photoelectrodes and electrocatalysts in the photoelectrochemical water splitting. The photoelectrochemical water oxidation focuses on the TiO2|Ni(OH)2 system in collaboration with Dr. Andrew Ichimura at SF State, and the photoelectrochemical water reduction focuses on the Si|MoS2 system in collaboration with Dr. Thomas Jaramillo and Dr. Adam Nielander in SLAC. The scientific questions we are trying to answer are what are interfacial changes of the photoelectrodes and electrocatalysts under operating conditions.
Photoelectrochemical water splitting
We appreciate the funding agencies that support our research.
