advanced-materials-2017-scientifictracks-abstracts

52 / 55

Page 82
Notes:
conferenceseries.com
Volume 5, Issue 5 Res. Rev. J Mat. Sci. 2017
ISSN: 2321-6212 Advanced Materials 2017
September 07-08, 2017
September 07-08, 2017 | Edinburgh, Scotland
Advanced materials & Processing
11th International Conference on
Hydrogen production from water using the sun via photocatalytic processes on Au/g-C3N4/TiO2 materials
Valérie Keller, Clément Marchal, Pablo Calvo, Thomas Cottineau and Valérie Caps
Institute of Chemistry and Processes for Energy, Environment and Health, France
The direct conversion of solar energy through an energy carrier (fuel), storable and usable upon request, appears as an
interesting alternative to find environmentally friendly ways to produce energy. Photocatalysis is a promising way to produce
hydrogen from renewable energy sources. Indeed, the water dissociation (water-splitting) highlighted by Fujishima and Honda in
a photoelectrocatalytic cell opened a promising way to produce hydrogen from light energy. Since, many efforts have focused on
the development of the water-dissociation in photoelectro- and photo- catalytic systems. Nowadays, one of the main challenges
consist in the elaboration of semiconductor nanometarials able to absorb visible-light wavelengths, to transfer efficiently the
photogenerated charges, while keeping high stability of their performances under UV activation. For that purpose, different strategies
are studied: Synthesis of semiconductors with narrow band gaps, doping (cationic, anionic, co-doping) approaches of wide bang
gap semiconductors, heterojunction formation between wide- and a narrow band gap semiconductors for solar light harvesting,
deposition of metal nanoparticles inducing surface plasmon effects, use of different morphologies (1D, 2D, 3D) and assembly of
semiconductors Here, amongst these different approaches, we will focus on the elaboration of Au/gC3N4/TiO2 photocatalysts, in order
to optimize the different functions of the composite materials: optimization of the synthesis of C3N4 (under different atmospheres)
and TiO2 (influence of the morphology) semiconductors, high quality heterojunction formation, improved Au deposition leading to
enhanced electron traps and co-catalyst properties and study of the SPR (Surface Plasmon Resonance) properties induced by Au NPs.
Biography
Valérie Keller is a senior scientist at ICPEES in Strasbourg. She received her Ph.D. degree in Chemistry and Catalysis from the University Louis Pasteur of
Strasbourg in 1993. In 1996 she returned to Strasbourg and was appointed as researcher in CNRS, where she is now responsible of the Team “Photocatalysis and
Photoconversion”. Her main research activities concern photocatalysis for environmental, energy and health applications, and the synthesis and characterization
of nanomaterials for photoconversion purposes. She is the author of over 100 publications in peer-reviewed journals and more than 85 oral communications in
international conferences and symposium. She is also the author of 15 patents. In 2013 she was awarded the 1st Price of the Strategic Reflection (awarded by the
French prime Minister).
Valérie Keller et al., Res. Rev. J Mat. Sci. 2017, 5:5
DOI: 10.4172/2321-6212-C1-005
Figure1: (a, b and d) TEM micrographs of 0,5
wt.% Au/(TiO2-gC3N4) (95-5) nanostructures.
(c) TEM micrographs of bare g-C3N4. (e)
Histogramm showing Au NPs size distribution.
(f) TEM micrographs of 0,5 wt.% Au/ TiO2-
gC3N4 (95-5) nanostructures, magnification of
gC3N4 nanosheet.