Nanoscale Imaging of a Photocatalyst at Work: What Comes After the Light?

Our society is currently facing intertwined global energy and climate crises. Photocatalysts are materials capable of using light from our major energy supplier, the sun, to promote chemical reactions. One of those chemical reactions is converting CO2 into fuels, making photocatalysts promising materials for (1) reducing the concentration of the greenhouse gas CO2 in our atmosphere and (2) generating sustainable energy. The conversion of light into charge carriers, such as electrons that must accumulate at the photocatalyst’s surface to promote chemical reactions, is a critical but poorly understood step in photocatalysis. The proposed project aims to create a model system enabling direct nanoscale imaging of visible light-induced charge carrier accumulation in a transmission electron microscope. A successful implementation would be a breakthrough in this field, allowing in-depth studies of various photocatalysts focusing on identifying and understanding active photocatalyst sites.