Functional Materials
Renewable energy conversion and storage are relevant topics in applied research today, since the use of non-fossil energy sources is essential for the reduction of CO2 emissions. Solar and wind energy harvesting combined with chemical energy storage in batteries or fuels like hydrogen are essential processes, which need to be improved in efficiency, long-term stability and scalability. Our goal is to contribute to the development of cost effective scalable solutions for energy conversion and storage.
Latest Publications
Morphological design of LaTiO2N particles by topotactic growth mechanisms for photocatalytic applications
Valérie Werner, Gregor A. Zickler, Simone Pokrant*, Morphological design of LaTiO2N particles by topotactic growth mechanisms for photocatalytic applications. Progress in Solid State Chemistry 2024, Volume 73. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.progsolidstchem.2024.100442
Exploring the Insertion Mechanisms of Metal Cations into V3O7·H2O
Daniela Söllinger, Jürgen Schoiber, Philipp L. Darge, Günther J. Redhammer, Simone Pokrant*, Exploring the Insertion Mechanisms of Metal Cations into V3O7·H2O. J. Phys. Chem. C 2024, 128, 5, 2255–2265. https://doi.org/10.1021/acs.jpcc.3c08056
Synthesis and Structure of the Double-Layered Sillén–Aurivillius Perovskite Oxychloride La2.1Bi2.9Ti2O11Cl as a Potential Photocatalyst for Stable Visible Light Solar Water Splitting
Exploring novel photocatalysts for solar water-splitting is a relevant measure to take towards sustainable hydrogen production. In this work, a fully titanium-based oxychloride, La2.1Bi2.9Ti2O11Cl, with a double-layered Sillén-Aurivillius intergrowth structure is fabricated via a facile one-step solid-state synthesis. A detailed crystal structure analysis is performed via powder X-ray diffraction and correlated to density functional theory calculations, followed by the demonstration of its photocatalytic activity for visible light-driven water oxidation.
Valérie Werner, Ulrich Aschauer, Günther J. Redhammer, Jürgen Schoiber, Gregor A. Zickler, and Simone Pokrant*, Synthesis and Structure of the Double-Layered Sillén–Aurivillius Perovskite Oxychloride La2.1Bi2.9Ti2O11Cl as a Potential Photocatalyst for Stable Visible Light Solar Water Splitting. Inorg. Chem. 2023, 62, 17, 6649–6660. https://doi.org/10.1021/acs.inorgchem.3c00116
Exploring the insertion properties of Mg2+ in H2V3O8 as a function of the water content in the organic electrolyte
D. Söllinger, G. J. Redhammer, J. Schoiber, G. A. Zickler and S. Pokrant, Exploring the insertion properties of Mg2+ in H2V3O8 as a function of the water content in the organic electrolyte. Electrochimica Acta, 2022. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.electacta.2022.141294
Recent news
Keynote Lecture by Simone Pokrant at the 14th ASEM workshop 2024: „Beam sensitive samples in material science and the link to TEM in biological sciences“
14th ASEM Workshop 2024, „Advanced Electron Microscopy“, April 4-5, 2024, Graz, Austria
Invited Talk: „Strategies for the Morphological Design of Photoactive Osynitride Particles and Electrodes for Solar Water-splitting“
S. Pokrant
87. Jahrestagung der DPG und DPG-Frühjahrstagung 2024 der Sektion Kondensierte Materie (SKM), March 17 – March 22, Berlin, Germany
Oral presentation: „SiO2 in Lithium-Ion Battery Anodes“
M. Karl, S. Pokrant
ATC Conference 2024, March 21 – March 22, Würzburg, Germany
Poster Conference presentation: “Characterization of V3O7.H2O Electrodes for Mg-ion aqueous cells”
J. Lam Chen, S. Pokrant
Austrian Young Chemists Summit: The Diversity of Chemistry, February 14 – February 16, 2024, Salzburg, Austria
Poster Conference presentation: „Morphology Variations and Photocatalytic Performance of BiVO 4 Particles“
J. Praxmair, S. Pokrant
Gordon Research Conference, Renewable Energy: Solar Fuels, February 04 – February 09, 2024, Ventura, California, USA
Poster Conference presentation: “Degradation of LaTiO2N based photoanodes”
J. Hörndl, S. Pokrant
Gordon Research Conference, Renewable Energy: Solar Fuels, February 04 – February 09, 2024, Ventura, California, USA
Device Characterization Methods
in-operando XRD Faraday efficiency measurement Set-up
Infrastructure project BioMat TEM
The functional materials group is proud of being part of the project team BioMat-TEM. The aim of this project is the upgrade of the local transmission electron microscope with a cryo unit and an energy filter (1,9 MEu). It will enable subnanometer imaging and analysis of beam sensitive materials like energy materials or biomaterials.For more information, click here and here.
Showcases for research enabled by the energy filter/cryo upgrade
Oxidation state determination of CoOx cocatalyst nanoparticles with a size of 5-40 nm by core loss EELS. The cocatatalysts are deposited on the photocatalyst LaTiO2N (adapted from Pokrant S. et al., Materials Today Energy, 5, 2017, 158)
Cryo transmission electron micrograph of extracellular vesicles, scaling bar 100 nm (adapted from Corso G., Meisner-Kober N. et al., Journal of Extracellular Vesicles, 8, 2019, 1663043 )
