Plasmonic Nanocatalysts for Photocatalytic Hydrogen Generation
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Plasmonic Nanocatalysts for Photocatalytic Hydrogen Generation
Tue, 24/06/2025 - 14:00 to 15:00
Location:
Speaker:
Priyanka Verma
Affiliation:
Indian Institute of Technology Delhi
Synopsis:
Solar energy is one of the most rapidly growing energy technologies and is directly involved in transitioning toward a more sustainable society. Solar-to-hydrogen fuel generation via photocatalysis is ideal for addressing the energy crisis worldwide. It requires the discovery of new materials or a new combination of materials to efficiently harvest sunlight with maximum solar-to-photon conversion efficiency. Plasmonic catalysts have recently emerged as a new class of materials and are promising candidates for confining light in the nanoscale regime via the localized surface plasmon resonance effect. In this talk, I will be discussing the immobilization of noble metal nanoparticles (Ag, Au, Cu) on unique porous supports, including mesoporous silica and hierarchically porous zeotype materials, for their application in the hydrogen generation from storage materials (ammonia borane). Furthermore, the defect engineering of semiconductor oxide into oxygen vacant WO3-x will be introduced as a result of careful tuning of the synthesis procedure, reaction conditions, time, temperature, and the presence and absence of surfactant. The defect-engineered semiconductor oxide displayed an approximate 30 times increment in the surface area values when compared with its commercial counterpart. The UV-vis spectroscopy confirmed substantial absorption in the Vis-NIR region. The catalytic performance in the ammonia borane dehydrogenation was shown by Pd/WO3-x with a reaction rate of 6.27 μmol min-1. The catalysts can also be recycled and pass the stability tests for consecutive cycles. Furthermore, the mechanistic pathway was investigated by performing scavenger experiments. This talk will provide insights into the fabrication and characterization of novel photocatalysts by defect engineering aimed at improving photocatalytic performance under the solar spectrum of light irradiation.1-5
References
1. P. Verma*, R. Raja, H. Yamashita et al., ChemCatChem, 2023, 15, e202201182.
2. P. Verma*, R. Raja, H. Yamashita et al., ChemNanoMat, 2023, e202300053.
3. Dimple, P. Verma* et al., Catal. Sci. Technol., 2024, 14, 4775-4798
4. Ajay, P. Verma*, J. Chem. Sci., 2025, 137:14
5. Dimple, P. Verma* et al., ChemCatChem, 2025, in press
Biography:
Dr. Priyanka Verma is an Assistant Professor in the Department of Chemistry at the Indian Institute of Technology Delhi. She holds a Ph.D. in Materials and Manufacturing Science from Osaka University, Japan, and an M.Sc. in Chemistry from IIT Hyderabad, where she was awarded the Institute Gold Medal. She completed her undergraduate studies at St. Stephen’s College, University of Delhi.
Dr. Verma has held prestigious fellowships and academic positions internationally, including as a Royal Society Newton International Fellow at the University of Southampton, a JSPS Postdoctoral Researcher, and a tenure-track Assistant Professor in Japan. Her research focuses on plasmonic nanomaterials, photocatalysis, and sustainable hydrogen generation.
She has received numerous awards, including the Young Researcher Award by the Plasmon Chemistry Society (2023), the Young Faculty Incentive Fellowship at IIT Delhi, and recognition among the Top 75 Women in Chemistry by the Office of the PSA, Government of India, and the Royal Society of Chemistry.
Her recent publications span high-impact journals, highlighting advancements in plasmon-mediated catalysis, hydrogen evolution, and photocatalytic materials.