ANR PACHAS - English
Visible-light Photocatalysis with Ambipolar layered CHAlcogenides for Solar fuel generation
January 1st 2025 – December 31th 2029
IMN coordinator of the project : Maria Teresa CALDES
Partners : ISCR (UMR 6226 CNRS/Univ. Rennes 1, A. RENAUD)
IRCELYON (UMR 5256 CNRS/ Univ. Lyon1, E. PUZENAT)
Persons of IMN involved : Hélène BRAULT (MC UNIV), Eric GAUTRON (IR CNRS), Clément MAHEU (CR CNRS), Stéphane JOBIC (DR CNRS), Camille LATOUCHE (MC UNIV) et Hélène TERRISSE (MC UNIV)
Total financing : 656 595 € with 228 789 € for IMN
Considering the structural filiation existing between ZISn and CIGSn phases the aims of PACHAS is to explore for the first time, the potentialities of the novel CIGSn compounds and related MoS2-CIGSn 2D heterojunctions for visible light-driven photocatalysis. We will focus on endergonic photocatalyzed water splitting. First to optimize the photocatalytic properties of CIGSn compounds, a “catalyst thickness tuning” approach will be used. To address this task, nano-plates of CIGSn will be prepared by exfoliation of CIGSn nanopowders, previously obtained by microwaved-assisted solvothermal synthesis. In a second step, the “2D-heterojoction strategy” will be also tempted. The ultrathin MoS2-CIGSn heterojunctions will be prepared combining MoS2 nanosheets and CIGSn nano-plates by ball milling or using a one-pot solvothermal method. The photocatalytic HER and OER properties of these materials will be deeply characterized by employing co-reagents as S2-, SO32- and S2O62- for HER and S2O82- for OER adapted for chalcogenide photocatalysts. A careful kinetic elucidation of the experiments conducted with these co-reagents will make it possible to identify the limiting processes involved in water splitting reactions. The position of VBM, CBM and Fermi energy levels of photocatalyts will be determined by combining complementary techniques. The energy diagrams thus determined will be compared to DFT calculations, carried out to determine bulk properties of MoS2, ZISn and CIGSn. Then, interfaces between MoS2 and ZISn or CIGSn slabs will be also simulated to get information on the thermodynamic stability of the heterojunctions and on their type. Finally, we will try to advance in the understanding of the relationship between ambipolar behavior and photocatalytic activity, what is not yet developed in the literature.
