Project R-11813

Research and Development agreement on project: "Development of metal oxides for use as photocathodes for photoelectrochemical water splitting" between Hasselt University and TNO (Research)

Renewable energy sources are the way forward towards a greener and zero-emission future. Unfortunately, these renewables typically have an intermittent nature, e.g. photovoltaics do not generate electrical power at night. The discrepancy between production and the demands on the energy grid is a difficult balance to maintain. Ideally, excess renewable energy can be stored for later use. Hydrogen (H2), produced by the splitting of water, can be used as such a zero-emission energy carrier. Here, we will work on the photoelectrochemical splitting of water by means of metal oxides in cooperation with TNO. The optical and physical properties of these metal oxides allow for the conversion of solar energy into chemical energy by the reduction and/or oxidation of water on their surfaces. The UHasselt DESINe-team is involved because of its expertise in the synthesis of metal oxide powders and layers via facile and scalable solution-based techniques and their fine-tuned to optimize their properties for water splitting.

01 February 2021 - 31 December 2021