Design and engineering of porous nitride-based materials as a platform for CO2 photoreduction

CONTEXT: Reshaping our energy portfolio considering the sustainability of global energy resources is central to the European Energy Roadmap 2050. Hence, researchers need to identify efficient routes towards solar fuels production. Unlike H2 evolution, CO2 photoreduction has been poorly studied. Given the scope for CO2 utilisation in a carbon-constrained future, there is an exciting opportunity to devote targeted research towards CO2 photoreduction. Photocatalysis is one route towards CO2 reduction. Yet, the design of a cost-effective, sustainable, efficient and robust photocatalyst remains a highly challenging task. PROPOSAL: I propose to merge catalysis, materials science and engineering to develop a radically new class of photocatalysts, i.e. porous boron nitride (BN)-based materials for CO2 reduction. My approach is opposite to current research trends which explore non-crystalline and non-porous materials, and aims to compete with the 40-year old benchmark in the field, TiO2. Porous BN combines key attributes for CO2 photoreduction: (i) chemical, structural and optoelectronic tunability, (ii) high porosity, (iii) semi-crystalline to amorphous nature. These features provide unique pathways towards effective sorption of reactants/products, facile band gap engineering, and enhanced surface charge transfer. Their semi-crystalline to amorphous nature may facilitate scale-up.IMPACT: I will address three major challenges:1. Creating a porous BN-based material platform with adsorptive and photocatalytic functionalities2. Adding a new dimension to photocatalyst design via porosity control3. Creating approaches to molecular- and micro-structure engineering in porous BN Realization of these advances would lead towards a dream photocatalyst with integrated adsorptive, optoelectronic and catalytic functionalities. The impact will benefit fields for which interfacial phenomena are key: molecular separation, catalysis and drug delivery.