Investigation of pulsed-beam modification of titanium dioxide based coatings for photoelectrochemical water splitting

Grant funding 2022-2024

The aim of the project is to develop scientific foundations of a resource-efficient technology for the production of photoactive materials based on semiconductor coatings modified by a pulsed ion beam. The project is aimed at developing a full cycle of production of photoactive materials for water decomposition, including the synthesis of coatings and their pulse-beam modification in order to increase the photocatalytic activity through structural modification.

Hydrogen energy production is developing intensively due to the growing global energy consumption and the development of alternative energy sources with low emissions of carbon-containing pollution. One of the promising methods for producing hydrogen is the photoelectrochemical decomposition of water by semiconductor materials. We propose to apply a pulsed high-current ion beam of nanosecond duration for the modification of semiconductor materials based on titanium dioxide to increase the efficiency of photoelectrochemical water splitting. The scientific novelty of the project is application of a pulsed ion beam with a high current density (the total beam current is higher than 5000 A) for the modification of photoactive thin-film materials to increase hydrogen production efficiency of material, while traditional continuous ion beams have a current of the order of 10-6 A or less.

New scientific results on the pulse-beam modification of semiconductor coatings and its effect on the increase in the efficiency of photoelectrochemical water splitting by modified materials will be obtained. Samples of photoactive coatings modified with a high-current ion beam, having an increased efficiency for generating hydrogen, will be obtained.