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The international joint laboratory was established in July 2008 between the Max-Planck Institute of Colloids and Interfaces (Prof. Markus Antonietti) and Fuzhou University (Prof. Xianzhi Fu). The lab is lead by Dr. Xinchen Wang. It is intended to establish international research collaboration for artificial photosynthesis.
Artificial Photosynthesis
Natural photosynthesis, the process by which green plants are converting solar energy into chemical energy, has inspired the development of artificial versions of photosynthesis, i.e. (1) the splitting of water into hydrogen and oxygen, and (2) the conversion of carbon dioxide into organics via sunlight. An important challenge in artificial photosynthesis is the development of catalysts that should be sufficiently efficient, stable, inexpensive, and capable of harvesting the abundant visible light in solar spectrum. There are countless trials to establish stable systems for this purpose, mostly based on inorganic semiconductors with appropriately engineered band-gap and noble metals to promote the “extraction” of electrons. These materials include metal oxides, (oxy)sulfides, and (oxy)nitrides. In our group we are investigating polymeric and organic-inorganic hybrid materials with controlled nanostructures as potential energy transducers for artificial photosynthesis for such applications as solar energy conversion, environmental purification, and organic synthesis.
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