Thesis supervisor: Lajos Fodor
co-supervisor: Ottó Horváth
Location of studies (in Hungarian): Center for Natural Sciences Abbreviation of location of studies: CNS
Description of the research topic:
Utilization of renewable energy sources such as solar radiation belongs to the most current research areas, due to the monotonous and relatively fast depletion of fossil fuels along with their contribution to global warming. Solar radiation can be converted to heat or electrical energy (solar panel), or it can be used for the generation of compounds capable of energy production. One of the main goals of these efforts is the conversion of solar radiation to chemical energy by producing hydrogen as a green energy source. It can be generated from environmentally harmful materials such as oxidizable pollutants in various wastewaters or industrial byproducts such as H2S. Photoelectrochemical splitting of water on photoactive semiconductors proved to be a promising method for hydrogen production, using solar energy. Since only a small fraction (ca. 4%) of the incoming solar energy lies in the ultraviolet region, it is very important to develop photocatalysts that are efficient enough in the visible region and stable in aqueous media.
The applicant will synthesize various photocatalysts such as suitable metal oxides, sulfides, or non-metal nitrides, modified with either doping or surface treatment by using mostly transition metals as cocatalysts for heterogeneous photocatalytic hydrogen production from aqueous systems. Several preparation methods (in situ precipitation, hydrothermal heating, calcination) could be used for this purpose. Also, the optimum circumstances (pH, sacrificial reagent, catalyst concentration, light source, etc.) should be determined for both the preparation and the application of these catalysts. Monitoring the formation of intermediates, measuring the concentration of sacrificial agents and their products as well as the amount of the hydrogen generated during the illumination, along with kinetic evaluations would also be done.
The types of equipment required for the experiments (such as preparation of the catalysts, photocatalyc reactions, and analyses) are available at the Research Group of Environmental and Inorganic Photochemistry, belonging to the Center for Natural Sciences. as well as in other laboratories of the Faculty of Engineering of the University of Pannonia.
Required language skills: English Number of students who can be accepted: 1
Deadline for application: 2024-06-14
2024. IV. 17. ODT ülés Az ODT következő ülésére 2024. június 14-én, pénteken 10.00 órakor kerül sor a Semmelweis Egyetem Szenátusi termében (Bp. Üllői út 26. I. emelet).
Login
